Man killed best friend, believed he had an affair with his wife

Deante Hall

Deante Hall

A Newton County man was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 10 years on Friday for killing his childhood best friend and attempting to kill another friend, authorities said.

Deante Hall, of Covington, incorrectly believed one or both of his best friends was having an affair with his wife, Newton County's District Attorney's office said via a Facebook post.

On July 6, 2016, Hall told his wife she should “buy black dresses because there were going to be a lot of funerals,” the DA said.

Later that day while in a car with Tony Butler and Levar Andrews, Hall pulled out a handgun and shot Butler, unsuspectingly, in the back and killed him, the DA said.

The gun jammed when he tried to shoot Andrews, so Hall used the handgun to assault him, breaking his nose and cutting his head, which required 15 stitches, the DA said. Hall then fled before being apprehended by New County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

Hall pleaded guilty to malice murder and aggravated assault, the DA said.

CORRECTION: A photo in an earlier version of this story was incorrectly identified as Deante Hall.

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