In the early morning hours of June 4, 2023, the quiet of a Conyers, Georgia motel parking lot was broken by a grim discovery. Officers, responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle at the InTown Suites on Northlake Drive, found 33-year-old Dontavious Hardeman, a Black/African American male, deceased inside his pickup truck. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Hardeman, a father of five from the neighboring Newton County, was described by his family as a laid-back and helpful person who was deeply loved. His sudden and violent death sent ripples of shock and grief through his family and the community.
The Conyers Police Department quickly launched a homicide investigation. Investigators released images of two individuals, teenagers, who were considered persons of interest and were believed to have been with Hardeman before the shooting occurred. Part of the tragic incident was reportedly captured on surveillance video. The investigation progressed rapidly as one of the suspects, a 15-year-old boy, was turned in to the police by his parents the very next day, on June 5, 2023. Due to his age, his name was not publicly released, but authorities confirmed he would be charged as an adult with murder and theft by taking.
The second suspect, identified as 17-year-old Quintavious Morgan, remained at large for a short time. However, on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, he was located and arrested at an apartment complex in DeKalb County. Morgan was subsequently booked into the Rockdale County Jail and charged with murder. Police indicated that the two teenagers knew Hardeman prior to the shooting, though a clear motive for the killing was not immediately released. While arrests were made, the police continued to encourage anyone with information to come forward to aid in their ongoing investigation, as a family mourned the loss of a devoted father and sought justice for his death.
