In the early morning hours of October 11, 2015, the life of 28-year-old Justin Granda was tragically cut short in the Arlington neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Granda, a male of Caucasian ethnicity and a graduate of South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia, was found shot multiple times in the head and torso and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was remembered by friends and family as a great lover of music and writing, with a particular passion for basketball, a sport he played during his
high school years.
The investigation into Granda's death revealed a story that began with a drug deal gone wrong. On the night of October 10, Granda had accompanied Lucas Guggenheimer, 20, to a home in Turtle Creek with the intention of purchasing marijuana. Once inside, Guggenheimer attempted to rob the residents, leading to a struggle during which a man was shot in the leg. In the ensuing chaos, Granda fled the scene, reportedly upset by Guggenheimer's actions and yelling, 'Why would you do that to him?'.
Following the botched robbery, Granda, Guggenheimer, and an 18-year-old named Amirae Jamal Benton, who had been waiting in a cab, returned to Pittsburgh. It was in the 2800 block of Arlington Avenue that Granda was shot and killed. Investigators determined that two different guns were used in the shooting, indicating the involvement of more than one individual. The motive for Granda's murder, prosecutors argued, was to silence him and prevent him from linking Guggenheimer and Benton to the earlier shooting and robbery attempt in Turtle Creek. A key piece of evidence that reportedly angered his assailants was that Granda had left his cell phone behind at the scene of the initial crime.
Within weeks of the murder, on October 31, 2015, Lucas Guggenheimer was arrested and charged with homicide and a firearms crime. Initially considered a witness, Amirae Jamal Benton was later identified as a second suspect after investigators concluded two weapons had been used. Benton was arrested in March 2016. The case against Benton was handled by the state attorney general's office due to a conflict of interest, as his mother was an employee of the local district attorney's office.
In April 2017, both men were found guilty for their roles in Justin Granda's death. Amirae Benton was convicted of first-degree murder, robbery, conspiracy, and a gun offense, receiving a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Lucas Guggenheimer was found guilty of third-degree murder and faced a lesser prison sentence. The convictions brought a close to the legal proceedings surrounding the untimely and violent death of a young man described by many as a beloved son, brother, and loyal friend.
