TEENAGER GUNS DOWN LOST MOTORIST FOR SPORT

Jury Convicts, Must Serve Life

Atlanta- A Marietta teenager has been sentenced to life in prison following his murder conviction by a Fulton County jury. Avery Bryant, now 19, was found guilty Thursday on all counts including Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Firearm during the commission of a crime for the unprovoked shooting death of a stranger in East Point.

Newton Gordon, 47, was shot and killed on July 5, 2008 while traveling near the intersection of Harris and East Washington Avenue where he had stopped to ask a group of teens, including the defendant, for directions. While his friend was talking to the driver, Defendant Bryant, approached unexpectedly with a gun and fired six shots into the car striking the victim twice in the chest. The victim then lost control of the car, accelerated and slammed into a telephone pole with loose wires causing the vehicle to erupt into flames. Police responding to the scene pulled Mr. Gordon from his vehicle--- believing they were rescuing an accident victim--- and then discovered his gun shot wounds. Following the shooting, the teens immediately fled the scene. When asked by his friends why he shot the victim, Bryant replied, “I got my first body.” He was later arrested at his Marietta home.

Bryant was immediately sentenced to life in prison plus five years by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Constance Russell who presided over the case.

Chief Senior District Attorney Lance Cross prosecuted the case with assistance from ADA John Williams and DA Investigator Vance Williams. Detective K. Drake and Seargent S. Smith with the East Point Police Department led the initial investigation.

Media Contact: Yvette Brown, 404-224-0560/404-392-8867, yvette.brown@fultoncountyga.gov