After spending nearly three years in jail without bond, Anthony Banks has been found not guilty of murder.
Banks was charged with murder in connection with Terrance Robinson’s death in October 2014. Robinson was shot and killed in front of Tailgators Sports Bar on Hurricane Shoals Road in Lawrenceville.
Banks represented himself in court until the trial began Monday. Attorney Don Geary served as Banks' lawyer in the trial, arguing the angle of the gunshot suggested someone besides Banks shot Robinson, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Geary said Robinson’s friend may have been the one who shot Robinson after pulling a gun on Banks, according to Channel 2.
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Robinson’s widow, Toni Robinson, put her head in her hands and cried as the verdict was read Thursday. She told Channel 2 that the jury’s decision deeply upset her.
"It’s something that can't be explained. My heart and my tears can tell it, but I can't get the words to actually tell how I feel,” Toni Robinson said. “I mean, really? Really? Not guilty?"
The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said Banks changed his story multiple times in police interviews, and his court testimony did not match any of those interviews.
“After deliberation, the jury found that the evidence did not prove the guilt of Anthony Banks beyond a reasonable doubt and they returned a verdict of not guilty,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Dan Mayfield in a statement. “Although the State is disappointed with the outcome, we respect the jury’s decision and fully support the system of trial by jury.”
Banks is still in custody at the Gwinnett County Detention Center. Jail logs say he has holds for law enforcement agencies in Butts County and Bartow County.
See Channel 2’s coverage of the verdict:
