She waited years for justice in her son’s death. A guilty but mentally ill plea came.

Leslie Foster came to court Monday morning prepared to be a witness in the trial against a man tied to her son’s death.

She had waited nearly four years to see justice in Zachary Foster’s shooting that happened at a General Mills plant where he worked. The case was instead abruptly closed after a guilty plea.

“We were surprised, but I was not disappointed. I’d rather have not had to sit through (a trial),” Leslie told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution by phone Tuesday afternoon. “I was very satisfied with the outcome. I was very satisfied with the sentence.”

Just before jury selection on Monday, Jalen Ivan Brown pleaded guilty but mentally ill in the death, said Randy McGinley, district attorney for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit covering Newton and Walton counties. Brown, who also worked at the General Mills in Covington and was Zachary’s co-worker, was sentenced to life in prison, plus five years.

Officials said that before the shooting, Brown had been acting increasingly paranoid due to mental health issues that were aggravated by drug use. And on May 29, 2022, McGinley said Brown brought a firearm to work with him.

“The state was prepared to try the case this week. As is typical, there were ongoing discussions between the defense and the prosecutors, including over the weekend. The defense did ask about our thoughts on a guilty but mentally ill plea to the murder and other charges, and the state agreed that we would not object to such a plea based on the specific facts and circumstances of this case,” McGinley told the AJC.

Leslie said she was told by the DA’s office as she arrived in the courthouse that the trial would not move forward. She then watched as Brown pleaded guilty.

Zachary’s brother, Gerald Foster Jr., said he was also relieved by the plea. Through tears, he said Tuesday afternoon that the pain of never seeing or speaking to his brother again never leaves.

“It’s not going to bring my brother back, but I’m glad that he’s getting the punishment that he’s getting,” Gerald said about the sentence.

In Georgia, pleading guilty but mentally ill means Brown receives the same sentence as pleading guilty. The main difference is that Brown is able to be referred for “temporary hospitalization” at a secure facility operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, McGinley said.

In total, Brown pleaded guilty to felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Brown had to meet the legal definition of mentally ill for the plea to be accepted. According to Georgia law, mentally ill means “having a disorder of thought or mood which significantly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality, or ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life.” State law also requires a defendant pleading guilty but mentally ill to undergo examination by a licensed professional.

In April 2025, state prosecutors filed a demand of notice expecting Brown’s attorney, who was a public defender, to argue he was insane, mentally ill or intellectually disabled at the time of the shooting. McGinley said Brown’s attorneys never entered a plea of insanity or filed a request for a jury charge of insanity, though.

“Insanity is a complete defense to a crime. If someone is found legally insane at the time of the crime, they are not guilty of the crimes,” McGinley explained. “Being mentally ill, legally, is more of a mitigation than a defense. That is why someone can be guilty but mentally ill. That sort of plea is still a guilty plea for all intents and purposes.”

McGinley added that a defendant pleading guilty but mentally ill is “quite” rare in his circuit. He recounted the August 2025 plea of Shane Stark, who was sentenced to life in the death of his mother, and said there may have been one or two other pleas since 2020.

Georgia Public Defender Council spokesperson Don Plummer told the AJC that public defenders must ensure every person, including those experiencing “significant” mental health issues, receives representation.

“In this case, counsel worked to reach a lawful resolution that acknowledged both the seriousness of the offense and the documented mental health concerns involved,” Plummer said. “We recognize the profound loss experienced by the victim’s family and everyone affected by this tragedy.”

On May 29, 2022, Brown brought a handgun to the General Mills plant on Industrial Park Boulevard. McGinley said when supervisors approached him to address his erratic behavior, Brown ran away and got the firearm from a bag. He then fatally shot his co-worker and fled from the food plant, authorities said.

Another co-worker pursued Brown, and a third person saw Brown running down a road with a firearm and began to back away. McGinley said Brown fired at both people.

A Covington police officer arrived shortly after and took Brown into custody. During an interview, authorities said Brown admitted to shooting Foster and expressed hearing voices and paranoia about things that didn’t actually happen.

Two days later, McGinley said a bag containing several forms of identification belonging to Brown and 14 ounces of marijuana was found at the General Mills plant.

Leslie said her son had been working at General Mills for about a year and was on his way to getting a promotion and becoming line lead. The fatal shooting happened two days after his 25th birthday.