On March 24, 2014, a violent and abusive relationship culminated in the tragic death of 25-year-old Tywanna Denise Boyd, an African American woman, in Atlanta, Georgia. Her life was cut short by her boyfriend, Corey Jones, who fatally shot her. The couple was known to have a tumultuous relationship, with Jones having a history of physical abuse against Boyd.
Witnesses to their relationship testified that Jones had been physically aggressive with Boyd on multiple occasions, including one incident where he repeatedly struck her as she knelt before him.
The day of her death, the couple was again engaged in a heated argument. While driving on Interstate 20, near the I-285 interchange, the argument escalated. Boyd pulled their car over to the shoulder and exited the vehicle, attempting to walk away. It was then that Jones, standing outside the passenger side, fired a gun, striking Boyd in the back and killing her. Two witnesses driving by heard the gunshot and saw a man matching Jones's description pointing a gun as a person fell to the ground.
Immediately following the shooting, Jones called 911 and initially fabricated a story, claiming that another man who had been following them was the one who shot Boyd. However, police investigation quickly revealed that the man Jones accused was in a meeting at the time of the murder, ruling him out as a suspect. Jones then changed his story, admitting to the shooting but claiming it was an accident. The murder weapon was later discovered by investigators in a grassy area near the crime scene.
A Fulton County grand jury indicted Corey Jones on multiple charges, including malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, and two firearm offenses. His trial took place from April 13 to 16, 2015, where a jury found him guilty on all charges. A ballistics expert confirmed that the bullet recovered from Boyd's body was fired from the revolver found at the scene, and a DNA expert testified that Jones's DNA was on the grip of the gun. Jones was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, with an additional ten years for the firearm offenses. He later appealed his conviction, arguing that the evidence was insufficient, but the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the verdict.
