ARMED ROBBERY/MURDER DEFENDANT CONVICTED

Ron Manuel—Found Guilty on All Counts—Sentencing in June

Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr. reports the conviction of Ron Manuel of College Park on charges of murder, 2 counts of felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. A Fulton County jury returned the verdict today. The 32-year-old defendant will be sentenced on June 8, 2007 by Superior Court Judge Bensonetta T. Lane in Courtroom 1-D.

The victim, 45-year-old Kenneth Black, also of College Park, was walking through a wooded area from Old National Highway toward the Ashton Chase apartment complex on Godby Road when he was accosted by the defendant. The victim was shot once in the face, three times in his body and was robbed of an undetermined amount of cash. Two juvenile witnesses playing basketball in the parking lot of the apartment complex identified the defendant as the man they saw running from the woods carrying a .357 magnum. The victim had been shot with a .357 magnum.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Fani Willis and investigated by S. Dimasi of the College Park Police Department, Steve Barresi of the Fulton County DA’s Investigative Unit. Monique Massey served as the Fulton DA’s Victim-Witness advocate.

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