Atlanta man pleads guilty in shooting death of father of 4
A man pleaded guilty to several charges in connection with the shooting death of a father of four in July 2017, authorities said.
Mariol Rawls of Atlanta was arrested Aug. 17, 2017, by U.S. Marshals in South Carolina in connection with the death of Deante Benton, who was celebrating his 29th birthday the day he was killed, AJC.com previously reported.
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On Monday, Rawls pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault among other charges, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Benton was found with gunshot wounds to his head and torso outside of an apartment complex in the 2000 block of Bent Creek Way on July 16, 2017, Atlanta police said. Benton’s friend, Earnest Hudson, was also shot in both legs, Channel 2 reported.
Shortly before the trial was supposed to begin Monday morning, Benton’s mother, Charlen Benton, got a call from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. She, along with Benton’s aunt, Tmeke Benton, told Channel 2 they were furious they weren’t told earlier about the trial.
“You can’t do us like this,” Tmeke Benton said. “How do you think we could just pop up and leave our jobs the day of?”
District Attorney Paul Howard called her to apologize, saying the employee who manages the calendar forgot to call her earlier, the news station reported. Howard told Channel 2 that employee will be disciplined.
Rawls’ sentencing is set for January.
About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
