Report: Man pleads guilty to deadly Peachtree City shooting, gets 21 years in prison

Blandburg, 26, of Peachtree City, pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter, three counts of aggravated assault and a firearm possession charge, the Citizen reported. Judge Fletcher Sams sentenced him to 21 years in prison followed by 19 years on probation.

When Tolbert’s body was found in thick brush near Joel Cowan Parkway, police didn’t immediately know what killed him. However, a “defect” on his torso was later revealed to be a gunshot wound, according to an autopsy performed by the GBI.

Peachtree City police previously announced six more arrests in the case. The others were accused of either being a party to the crime or lying to investigators. Peachtree City police Sgt. Chris Hyatt said their cases are still pending.

MORE: 7 charged in deadly shooting behind Peachtree City apartment complex

Police said Blandburg and his alleged accomplices drove from the Wynnmeade neighborhood to the nearby Woodsmill apartments, where Blandburg got out and fired nearly a dozen shots with a 9 mm pistol. One of those shots hit Tolbert, who ran from the scene and later died.

Prosecutors said Blandburg thought a man was selling drugs to his grandmother, with Tolbert acting as the deliverer, the Citizen reported.

The day after he shot Tolbert, Blandburg spotted the other alleged drug dealer near the scene, firing several shots at his car, the newspaper reported. None of the shots hit their target, but the incident led police to arrest Blandburg on reckless conduct charges, which were upgraded when Tolbert’s body was found.

Blandburg was denied bond and remains in the Fayette County jail awaiting his transfer to a state prison. The others arrested in this case have been released from jail, according to online records.

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