Arrest made in pro boxer's slaying

By Rhonda Cook

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A second man has been arrested in the murder of boxer Vernon Forrest, WSB-TV is reporting.

Twenty-year-old Damario Ware made his first court appearance Wednesday morning after turning himself in the day before to the Fulton County District Attorney.

Police reportedly were questioning a second suspect early Wednesday evening.

Police have said they expect more arrests in the case. AJC.com will have updates as they become available.

Ware’s grandmother cried as he made his first court appearance wearing a jail jumpsuit and handcuffs.

“I taught him right from wrong,” Rose Thomas said outside the Fulton County Jail Wednesday after Ware’s initial court appearance lasting less than a minute, the time it took a magistrate to read him his rights.

Thomas, who raised Ware, sat alone on one of the two benches set aside for the public in the courtroom at the jail. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she cried into her hands.

So far, Ware is the only person charged with killing Forrest during an attempted robbery in a southwest Atlanta convenience store parking lot early on July 26.

Ware, whose image of him confronting the boxer was captured on surveillance video, surrendered to police Tuesday. Ware is charged with murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and two gun offenses.

Police suspect as many as four more were involved.

Lt. Keith Meadows, who heads the Atlanta Police Department’s homicide unit, said Wednesday, “we are following other leads and I expect there will be more arrests soon.”

He declined to be specific.

Charles Watson, Forrest’s friend and manager and the spokesman for the boxer’s family, was angry about the direction he saw the case going.

“Right now they are probably trying to cut a deal with this guy [Ware] to get the shooter,” Watson said. “We don’t want a deal. We want justice. All of them should be convicted for the crime for murder.”

He said Ware should not get any special treatment because he “started the whole chain reaction with the robbery.”

The grandmother and Ware’s uncle, Frederick Waters, said a threatening call came to the Thomas house; they believe it was intended to frighten Ware about possible danger to his family should he be thinking about helping police.

According to Thomas, the caller Wednesday morning warned “don’t go to a service station late at night” and also said someone was going to “shoot up my house.”

The 38-year-old former world welterweight boxing champion was putting air in a rear tire on his Jaguar when Ware allegedly approached him. Forrest’s godson was inside the story, buying snacks.

Police said Forrest, armed, chased the robber down Whitehall Street, but lost sight of the man. As he was walking back, however, he encountered another armed man, and the two exchanged words.

Realizing he had confronted the wrong man, police said, Forrest turned to walk away. He was shot in the back seven or eight times. Police believe the man who shot Forrest was not involved in the robbery.

Forrest’s gold and diamond “4X World Champion” ring and a Rolex watch were taken and have not been recovered.

“He wasn’t raised to do the things he done,” the grandmother said. “I pray to God to guide him. He’s grown now so it’s out of my hands. I’m so sorry. I hurt for the Forrest family.”

Waters, Ware’s uncle, added as he helped his mother into a mini van, “our prayers go out to his family.”

Staff writer Marcus Garner contributed to this article.