Initially, the death of Gavin McKenzie at a hotel off Memorial Drive in DeKalb County was thought to have been due to a beating. A warrant released Wednesday, however, says that he died from asphyxiation.
Daryl Shonell Miller told police he put his weight, listed as 236 pounds, on the 35-year-old’s chest to make him stop fighting last Thursday, the document says.
Miller, 40, said the violence started when the victim punched him in the face. Tnvestigators say security camera footage shows Miller kicking McKenzie before the fight.
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By the time Miller laid on McKenzie, they were in a breezeway outside a room.
Afterward, police said, Miller fled the hotel and hopped on a bus. Investigators shared footage with the media, and he was identified and arrested.
The warrant doesn’t reveal if police know how the victim and suspect knew each other or what disagreement led to the fight.
Miller remains in the county jail.
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