A LaGrange man was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to killing his accomplice during an attempted armed robbery, Coweta County officials said.
Marquaveous Deshun Harris, 20, was convicted of felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and violation of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Herb Cranford said in a statement Monday.
Harris’ charges stemmed from the death of 18-year-old Malenko Cooley, who was fatally shot during the botched armed robbery, Cranford said.
Harris and Cooley went to an apartment complex in Newnan during the early morning hours of Jan. 20, 2019, Cranford said. They intended to hold a resident of the complex at gunpoint and steal his gun, he said.
Harris and Cooley told the victim that they wanted to give him a gun to hold for a couple of days, Cranford said. However, when they got to the man’s apartment, a fight ensued.
Harris then fired at least six shots, according to Cranford. The victim was hit four times, but survived.
Cooley was hit once in the back. Cranford said he died at some point between leaving the apartment and the morning of Jan. 22. His body was found in the back seat of his own car, which had been abandoned in LaGrange.
Harris was taken into custody after investigators determined he and Cooley had traveled to the scene of the shooting in the same vehicle. Investigators also found that Harris was affiliated with the Nine Trey Gangster Bloods “and that these offenses were motivated by his participation in the gang’s activities,” Cranford said.
“Although the deceased in this case became a victim during his own commission of a felony, his death deserved justice,” Cranford said. “This case is yet another ultimately tragic example of the two most likely outcomes of participating in criminal street gang activity: incarceration or death.”
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