FAIRBURN DEFENDANTS FOUND GUILTY IN MURDER OF

18-YEAR OLD BASKETBALL STAR

Victim Gunned Down in Cold Blood on Basketball Court

Atlanta- A Fulton County Jury has returned guilty verdicts in the murder case against two Union City men. 25-year old Eskie Christmas and Marcus Jackson, 19, were convicted Thursday of Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony for the murder of 18-year old Brandon Horton, a star athlete from Creekside High School in South Fulton County.

Horton was killed on August 8, 2007 while playing basketball with several neighborhood friends. According to the investigation, the defendants drove to the basketball court with a group of people in an SUV searching for the victim. Jackson, exited the vehicle with a gun and approached the victim saying, ‘I heard you been talking about me’ and then struck him in the face with the weapon. The force of the blow caused the gun to drop to the ground. The victim then began to fight back-punching Jackson in the face. The second defendant, Eskie Christmas, then struck the victim from behind and knocked him to the ground. Witnesses say Christmas then picked up the weapon and shot the victim once in the head at point-blank range. He then threw the gun about 15-feet away from the place Brandon Horton lay dying. The defendants fled the scene in the SUV.

Eskie Christmas and Marcus Jackson will be sentenced at a later date.

Superior Court Judge Wendy Shoob presided over the case. It was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Pete Johnson and ADA Michael Garrett with assistance from DA Investigator Patrice Nesbitt. Detective C. Israel from the Fairburn Police Department led the initial investigation.

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