On an August evening in 2014, Markeese Hodge, a 27-year-old male, was fatally shot at the Cross Keys Apartments in Columbus, Georgia. The incident, which cut short Hodge's life, occurred on August 6, 2014, during a late-night gathering on the premises. His death was the tragic culmination of a series of violent events at the apartment complex.
The man who fired the fatal shot was identified as Jerome Chatmon. Following the shooting, Chatmon faced a criminal trial.
However, he claimed that he acted in self-defense, a plea that ultimately led to his acquittal. While the criminal proceedings did not result in a conviction, the story of Markeese Hodge's death did not end there.
In the wake of the criminal trial, Hodge's family pursued a civil lawsuit against the owners and managers of the Cross Keys Apartments, McCorlew Realty, Inc. Court documents revealed that the realty company was aware of a problematic unit at the complex with significant late-night traffic. Just ten days before Hodge's death, another shooting had occurred on the premises, injuring three people. Despite this, the management company did not take additional security measures. The civil case argued that the property owners were negligent in their duty to ensure the safety of their tenants and visitors.
The civil trial brought to light the ongoing issues at the apartment complex and the management's failure to adequately address them. The jury found in favor of Hodge's family, awarding them a $4.5 million verdict. This outcome served as a declaration that the property owners held a responsibility for the foreseeable crime that occurred on their premises, and in this instance, their inaction had devastating consequences.
