In the late hours of a Sunday evening in August 2014, a young man's life was tragically cut short in a violent robbery. Ajit Kumar Dwivedi, a 23-year-old male, was working as a clerk at the Big Brother 2 Food Mart on Norwood Road in southeast Atlanta. An exchange student from India, he had moved to Atlanta after studying in Iowa. On August 25, 2014, as he was closing up the convenience store for the night, he was fatally shot.
The owner of the food mart discovered Dwivedi's body just
before midnight. An investigation quickly determined that he had been shot multiple times during what appeared to be a robbery. The cash register had been emptied, and a laptop was also reported missing from the store. Security cameras at the location captured the brutal attack, providing investigators with a clear image of the assailant.
The surveillance footage showed a man approaching Dwivedi with a handgun as he was locking up, forcing him back inside the store. A struggle ensued, during which the assailant shot Dwivedi. The gunman then callously stepped over his body to take money from the cash register before fleeing. The clarity of the video allowed police to release images of the suspect to the public, seeking help in his identification.
Several tips came in from the community, with people recognizing the man in the video. The suspect was identified as Garren Hill, who was 21 or 22 years old at the time and had a prior conviction for car theft. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and after several weeks of searching, he was located and apprehended in Detroit.
Hill was extradited back to Atlanta to face charges of murder, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. During his interrogation, he initially denied remembering the incident but eventually admitted to being at a party in the neighborhood and needing money. He confessed to going to the store and shooting Dwivedi. In January 2016, a jury found Garren Hill guilty on all counts. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Ajit Kumar Dwivedi.
