In the late summer of 2014, a young man’s life was cut short in Tifton, Georgia. Willie Bernard “Nard” Thomas, a 19-year-old male, was standing in his yard at 3116 Hillcrest Circle on August 22nd when he was shot. He was rushed to Tift Regional Medical Center, but the efforts to save him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead.
The Tift County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. Through interviews and the execution of search warrants, investigators were able to identify three suspects. The authorities credited information provided by citizens as being helpful in the course of their investigation. Within a week of the fatal shooting, three men were taken into custody for their alleged roles in the death of Thomas.
The investigation led to the arrests of 21-year-old DeAnthony Raphael Davenport and 19-year-old Austin Jermaine McIntyre. Both were charged with malice murder, felony murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. A third man, 21-year-old Derrick Lamar Britt, was also arrested and faced charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, theft by receiving stolen property, obstruction of an officer, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
