In the autumn of 2014, the life of 53-year-old Calvin Gholston was tragically cut short in what police would describe as a brutal homicide. On September 27th, a woman working at the Spring Mill Village shopping center on Memorial Drive in an unincorporated area of Decatur near Stone-Mountain, GA, discovered Gholston's body in a breezeway. He had been shot multiple times. Gholston, a man who his family said lived with schizophrenia, was affectionately known by the nickname 'Butterball.' His family, including his brother and caretaker, Cedric Gholston, and his oldest sister, Pat Green, were devastated by the loss, unable to comprehend who would want to harm a man they described as harmless and giving.
In the initial stages of the investigation, DeKalb County police had few leads. The shopping center where Gholston was found was mostly empty and lacked working security cameras. Investigators determined that Gholston had no valuables on him, which seemed to rule out robbery as a primary motive. His family made an emotional public plea for any information that could lead to the capture of the person responsible for his death, expressing their deep pain and desire for closure. The case remained a mystery for a period, leaving his loved ones and the community searching for answers.
A significant breakthrough in the case came with the arrest of 34-year-old Aeman Presley. His capture was not initially connected to Gholston's murder but rather for attempting to avoid paying a fare at a MARTA station. Following his arrest, investigators linked Presley to a string of violent crimes, including the deaths of three other individuals. It was revealed that Presley's murderous spree began with the killing of Calvin Gholston. According to a sworn statement from an investigator, Presley had set out with the intention of robbing someone but instead shot Gholston, who was sleeping in the breezeway. This act triggered what Presley described as a 'bloodlust,' compelling him to commit further murders.
In February 2015, a DeKalb County grand jury indicted Aeman Presley on multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault in connection with Calvin Gholston's death. Presley eventually pleaded guilty to the murders of Gholston and three other victims. He received multiple life sentences, a plea deal that spared him the death penalty. During the legal proceedings, Presley made a statement suggesting he thought he was helping Gholston by ending his life, a comment that deeply angered Gholston's family who were present in court. While the conviction brought a sense of legal closure, the pain of their loss and the senseless nature of the crime remained.
