Ejected tenant sentenced to life for arson-related murder
A man upset about being kicked out of an Atlanta boarding home was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday in a case that dates back more than eight years.
Derrick Brock, 50, was convicted by a Fulton County jury of malice murder and felony murder for his part in the 2003 death of James Lockett, 27, the district attorney's office reports. Lockett was residing in a rooming house on Bolton Road in January 2003 when Brock entered uninvited. After another guest forcibly moved him from the residence, Brock could be heard threatening to "burn the house down," prosecutors said.
Jurors agreed that Brock made good on his promise, setting the house ablaze the following morning. Lockett suffered 3rd degree burns over half his body and died roughly a month later in the burn unit of Grady Memorial Hospital. A witness spotted Brock outside the home holding a square gasoline can, the district attorney's office said.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
