Jury selection began Monday in the murder case of an Atlanta mayoral candidate’s nephew, months after a mistrial was declared, Fulton County officials said.
Atlanta police say Darius Bottoms, then 18, was shot and killed in June 2014 as he drove on Legacy Drive in southwest Atlanta, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.
“The investigation revealed the victim was mistaken as a rival gang member,” Fulton County District Attorney spokeswoman Nakell Williams said in a news release.
Bottoms is the nephew of Atlanta mayoral candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is in a runoff Tuesday against Mary Norwood to succeed Kasim Reed.
Authorities arrested Rashad Barber, 19, Ryan Bowdery, 23, and David Dajunta Wallace 22, in the murder, but Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter declared a mistrial after it was suggested a juror spoke with an Atlanta police detective about ballistics information during the trial.
Barber, Bowdery and Wallace face murder, aggravated assault, criminal damage to property and street gang activity charges, Williams said. Wallace also faces hindering the apprehension of a criminal, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, obstruction, weapons and theft charges.
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