In the quiet foothills of North Georgia, a tragedy unfolded that cut short the life of 19-year-old Mallory Lyric Warden. On the night of September 18, 2024, events were set in motion that would end in her untimely death, the result of a planned armed robbery that turned fatal. The former Pickens High School student was found in a car on South Main Street in Ellijay, suffering from a gunshot wound.
Though the grim discovery was made in Ellijay, investigators later determined that the actual shooting occurred on Talona Road in Gilmer County. She was rushed to a local hospital, but her injuries proved to be too severe.
The investigation that followed uncovered a conspiracy involving a group of young people engaged in a series of armed robberies. Their scheme, which often involved setting up drug deals to rob their targets, tragically culminated in the death of Mallory Warden, who was caught in the violence of one of these planned heists for THC vape cartridges. The community was left in shock as a string of arrests were made, revealing that the perpetrators were mostly teenagers themselves, their ages ranging from 15 to 21.
The wheels of justice began to turn as multiple suspects were taken into custody and faced a host of charges, including felony murder and armed robbery. Among those charged were Anthony Jared Inestruza-Whisnant, who was identified as the shooter and subsequently pled guilty to felony murder, receiving a life sentence. Several others were also held accountable for their roles in the crime. Gray Anthony McClure entered a guilty plea for manslaughter and robbery, which led to a 20-year prison sentence. Robert Gabriel Shoilekov, Davonnte Lavon Brehon, and Aspen Leigh Cagle all pled guilty to felony murder and armed robbery, each receiving a sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by 20 years of probation. Madison Alina Grace Perez also pled guilty to charges related to the case. Another individual, Elizabeth “Rylie” Sue Henson, who was involved in a separate incident with some of the same people, pled guilty to robbery and was sentenced to 20 years of probation. The resolution of the case brought a measure of closure to a community shaken by the senseless violence that claimed the life of a young woman.
