MURDER OVER STOLEN RIMS RESOLVED-2 FOUND GUILTY

Defendants Darrian Pye and Latilia Hicks Sentenced to Life in Elaborate Plot to Recover Stolen Rims

Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr. announces the conviction Tuesday evening of 24-year-old Darrian Pye of Decatur and 28-year-old Latilia Hicks of Castleberry, Florida in the June 27, 2005 shooting death of 22-year-old Manon Freeman, Jr. of Atlanta. A Fulton County Superior Court jury found the two guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, hijacking a motor vehicle, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime. Judge Craig Schwall sentenced Pye to life plus 25 years; Hicks received a life sentence plus five years suspended. A third defendant charged in the case, 24-year-old Leo Sanders-Hick's boyfriend-pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for his truthful testimony on the stand. He has not been sentenced as yet.

On May 7, 2005, someone stole the fancy rims from Pye's 1989 Chevrolet Caprice. A month later, he spotted the rims on a Ford Expedition, copied the license plate number and gave the information to police. A few days later, on June 26, 2005, the defendants devised a scheme to carjack the owner of the Expedition, 22-year-old Manon Freeman, Jr. Defendant Hicks introduced herself and spent the evening partying at a skating rink with the victim, his brother and two other women. When the two women were dropped off, Hicks lured the victim's brother to a hotel while Pye, Sanders and another man, Lorenzo Chambers, followed the victim home. After Freeman pulled into his driveway, he was shot in the back of head with an AK-47. The defendants then drove away in their car and the victim's SUV.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Linda Dunikoski of the Major Case Unit. Fulton County Police Department Detectives G. Kalish and W. Yates led the investigation along with Fulton County DA Investigator David White. Assistance to the victim's family and witnesses in the case was provided by Scott Long, an Advocate with the DA's Victim-Witness Assistance Program.

CONTACT: Lyn Vaughn, 404.730.6860 (office); 770.597.6963 (cell); lyn.vaughn@co.fulton.ga.us