Two men were sentenced to life in prison Thursday morning in the shooting death of a 19-year-old at a west Georgia house party in 2020, authorities said.
Cameron Shemar Allen and Jadarakis Avuntray Caldwell, both 20, were convicted last month of murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to the Carroll County District Attorney’s Office. Allen was also found guilty of malice murder.
Allen was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus five years, authorities said. Caldwell received the same sentence with the possibility of parole.
Bowdon police responded to the shooting in the 300 block of Angela Drive early Nov. 22, 2020, and found Christopher Parker dead from a gunshot wound to the chest, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said. Witnesses told authorities there was a party at the home and shots were fired between a group of people outside. Parker was shot while standing in the road, deputies said.
Credit: Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home
Credit: Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home
The suspects drove off, but that vehicle was stopped about 30 minutes later by a deputy on Ga. 61 northeast of Carrollton. Two passengers fled, but the driver cooperated and identified them as Allen and Caldwell, the sheriff’s office said. Prosecutors said a Glock .40 caliber handgun was found under the front passenger seat, which later matched the shell casing found at the crime scene.
Two ski masks, gloves and Caldwell’s cellphone were also located in the car. A search warrant was conducted at Caldwell’s home, and authorities recovered a hoodie and sweater that the deputy allegedly saw him wearing at the traffic stop, the DA’s office said.
A witness at the trial testified to picking up both men near the traffic stop, prosecutors said. Social media records obtained in the investigation also determined the men were looking to flee the county.
U.S. marshals located Allen and Caldwell together nearly a month later in Atlanta and both were charged with murder, felony murder and aggravated assault, online records show. They were 18 at the time of the shooting, and were held at the Carroll County Jail without bond for more than 800 days.
The driver of the vehicle was also arrested and charged with murder, but he is no longer listed in jail records. Last month, “the state agreed to plea him guilty” to hindering the apprehension of a criminal, which resulted in his release, the DA’s office said.
“Although the driver was initially reluctant to speak to investigators and was charged with murder, he ultimately chose to tell the truth about the shooting,” prosecutors added.
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