Four months after a 16-year-old girl was found shot to death in an abandoned car in Henry County, a suspect believed to be involved in the teen’s death turned himself in to authorities.
Quinton Renard Smith, 21, faces charges of felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with the Dec. 20 shooting of Azariah Miller, a Henry County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said.
He is the second man arrested in the case. Johnny Lester Boynton III, 21, was taken into custody by Henry County police Dec. 22 and booked on charges of murder and aggravated assault.
The shooting happened along Highland Place in Stockbridge during a botched gun sell, according to investigators. Police said Smith was part of a group of men trying to purchase a firearm. Gunfire was exchanged when a fight broke out during the transaction.
One day later, Miller’s body was found about a half-mile away along Ga. 42 in an abandoned vehicle that was riddled with bullets, deputies said.
Investigators at the time said Miller was likely shot during a robbery attempt. Police told Channel 2 Action News that Miller was riding in a car with four other people trying to finalize the deal, which was set up on Instagram.
The teen was unaware that two people involved planned to rob the man selling the weapons, the news station reported.
Smith turned himself in at the Henry County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday afternoon, deputies announced in a news release late Thursday. He remained in custody Thursday at the Henry County Jail, according to an agency spokesperson.
“We are operating with limited disclosure at this time considering local law enforcement is still in the early stages of this investigation,” Sheriff Reginald Scandrett said in the release. “But, it’s always tough dealing with these types of cases involving young people. We’re working feverishly and strategically to clean up our neighborhoods and keep this type of violence off of our streets .”
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