A man was sentenced Tuesday in a fatal shooting at a Fulton County restaurant where he worked, a location that was later shut down due to allegations of sex trafficking and drugs.
Tianyve Stitts was found guilty of murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and giving false information to law enforcement officers in the killing of Darcy Jones Jr. in 2020. Stitts, 31, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus 10 years.
“I hope today’s conviction brings some sense of closure and justice to Mr. Jones’ loved ones,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said in a statement.
The shooting happened sometime after 1 a.m. on Nov. 14, 2020, at The Bodega, a since-closed restaurant along Old National Highway in South Fulton. The district attorney’s office said that Darrence Morgan, a security guard at the restaurant, asked an armed customer to hold her gun. The customer then handed the firearm to Stitts, an employee.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Jones, who was 23 years old at the time, was sitting at the bar talking to several people, including Stitts’ girlfriend.
At some point, Stitts followed Jones to the bathroom, where he fatally shot him, according to authorities. Jones collapsed and Stitts ran out the back exit.
Many of the witnesses worked at the eatery and their testimony indicated that the victim had not visited the restaurant before, the district attorney’s office added.
During a news conference just weeks after the fatal shooting, South Fulton police Chief Keith Meadows said his officers had been called to The Bodega numerous times due to criminal activity. Meadows added that police and city leaders decided to close the restaurant because of allegations of sex trafficking, employees having confessed to selling drugs and the homicide.
Morgan pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in May 2022 and served as a witness during Stitts’ trial. Officials said Stitts had a previous conviction in Indiana and was on probation for possession of cocaine and dealing in cocaine.
Willis said after Tuesday’s sentencing that impact statements made by Jones’ and Stitts’ families show how “senseless murders can impact entire communities.”
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