In the early hours of May 23, 2014, a graduation party at the Columbus Fairgrounds in Columbus, Mississippi, turned tragic, ending the life of 21-year-old Devin Lamar Montgomery. A graduate of Columbus High School's class of 2012 and a student at East Mississippi Community College, Montgomery was fatally shot following a dispute that began over a spilled drink. The male victim was pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle.
A medical examiner later testified that he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The ensuing investigation quickly pointed to Kale Scott as the primary suspect. Scott, who was 19 at the time of the incident, turned himself in to the authorities a few days after the shooting. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in connection with Montgomery's death and with aggravated assault for shooting another individual in the leg during the same incident. Initially, his bond was set at $1 million.
The trial of Kale Scott commenced in August 2015. Prosecutors argued that Scott's actions constituted a deliberate and unjustified act of violence. The defense countered with a claim of self-defense, portraying Scott as fearful of Montgomery. After approximately two hours of deliberation, the jury found Scott, then 20, guilty of both first-degree murder and aggravated assault. Following the verdict, the judge sentenced him to life in prison for the murder of Devin Lamar Montgomery. For the aggravated assault charge, Scott received an additional sentence of 20 years, with 10 years to be served consecutively to his life sentence.
