An out-of-work actor accused of killing three homeless men and a Smyrna hairstylist pleaded guilty Monday in DeKalb County Superior Court to two of the murders, avoiding the death penalty, for now.
Aeman Presley will serve consecutive life sentences plus 10 years in a plea deal with DeKalb prosecutors. Prelsey was charged with fatally shooting 53-year-old Calvin Gholston in September 2014 and 44-year-old Karen Pearce in December of that year as she was walking to her car in downtown Decatur.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard has said he'll seek the death penalty against Presley for the deaths of Dorian Jenkins and Tommy Mims, shot during Thanksgiving week as they slept on Atlanta's streets.
In court Monday Presley spoke of demons he’d wrestled with his whole life.
“I am not a serial killer,” he said. “I’m a brother that had some really serious issues and problems who did some things that I’m not proud of today. What I did was ungodly, unrighteous, dishonorable and plain wrong.”
It was little consolation to those who knew Pearce best.
“The world is a smaller place without Karen,” said John Bulluck, friends with Pearce for 16 years.
A more complete story will be posted later this afternoon on myajc.com.
About the Author
