A trail of text messages, receipts and bullet fragments tie three gang members to the murder of a 14-year-old Gwinnett football player over his high-end athletic shoes, prosecutors said Monday.
“This is a case that can be summarized with one word: Evil,” Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorney Mike Morrison said during opening statements at the trial of former Grayson High School student Larnell Sillah, his uncle Andrew Murray and another man, Tauvaughn Saylor.
Sillah, a classmate of the victim, Paul Sampleton Jr., had become aware of the freshman’s pricey shoe collection and initially devised a plan with two other high school students to rob him. But, according to prosecutors, Murray and Saylor seized upon the opportunity to steal from the Grayson teen.
The two defendants had come to Georgia, Morrison said, in hopes of turning a profit on some designer drugs they had purchased in New York City. But they failed to get the expected return and were stuck at the home where Sillah lived with his mother and grandparents.
Sampleton was shot three times in the head, allegedly by Murray, who is representing himself.
“During this trial they’re going to disrespect me as a murderer,” Murray said.” Yeah I did stupid stuff in the past but I’m not an animal, I’m not a killer, I’m not a gang banger.”
Check myajc.com later this afternoon for the complete story.
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