In the winter of 2014, a drug deal arranged with the intention of robbery spiraled into a fatal encounter for 24-year-old Joshua Gardner of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. On the evening of January 9th, Gardner was shot during a transaction that was supposed to involve the purchase of a pound of marijuana. He succumbed to his injuries weeks later, on January 29th, after a hard-fought battle for his life.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to two suspects: Mardreco Green and Quinton
'Poo' Gardner, who was not related to the victim. It was determined that the plan to rob Joshua Gardner of the marijuana was orchestrated by the two men. During the commission of the robbery, it was Mardreco Green who fired the shot that would ultimately prove fatal for Joshua Gardner. The stolen marijuana was later divided between the perpetrators.
Following their arrests, both Green and Quinton Gardner were charged with capital murder. The legal process that ensued brought some measure of justice for the senseless loss of a young life. Mardreco Green, the man who pulled the trigger, was convicted for his role in the murder and was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. Information regarding the final disposition of the charges against Quinton 'Poo' Gardner is less clear, though he was also facing a capital murder charge for his involvement in the robbery that led to Joshua Gardner's death.
