In the early morning hours of April 2, 2015, the life of 29-year-old Anthony Stevenson, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The fatal incident unfolded outside a local nightclub, Club Deuce 2, located on North State Street. Stevenson was discovered behind the building and was rushed to a local hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. He was not the only victim that night; another man, 32-year-old J.C. Miller, was found deceased in the club's parking lot from the same violent encounter.
The investigation into the double homicide led the Clarksdale Police Department to identify Anthony Edtrel Giles as a suspect. Witnesses at the scene were able to identify Giles, who was taken into custody on April 15, 2015. During interrogation, Giles admitted to his involvement in the shootings. He confessed to shooting both Miller and Stevenson after a verbal argument escalated into a physical altercation. According to law enforcement, the dispute began with a verbal argument that turned physical, leading to the deadly shooting.
Following his arrest, Anthony Giles faced a lengthy legal process, with his case experiencing several delays due to an overcrowded court docket. On January 29, 2019, a Coahoma County Circuit Court jury found Giles guilty on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Anthony Stevenson and J.C. Miller. The trial lasted three days, and the jury's verdict brought a long-awaited resolution for the families of the victims.
After the guilty verdict, Circuit Court Judge Albert Smith sentenced Anthony Giles to serve two consecutive life sentences in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The sentencing ensured that Giles would spend the remainder of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. The case was prosecuted by assistant district attorneys Walter Bleck and Stephanie Brown, while Giles was represented by attorney Azki Shah.
