Jury finds Fairburn resident guilty in repo man slaying
A Fairburn resident was found guilty Monday of shooting and killing a repo man who had come to collect his Ford Mustang.
Justin Moore, 30, was convicted on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, attempting to elude police and possessing a firearm in the commission of a felony. Fulton Superior Court Judge John Goger sentenced Moore to the maximum penalty allowed: life-plus-21 years.
Moore's defense claimed he didn't intend to fatally shoot Brandon Thomas, who had been on the job less than a week. Thomas' colleague, Willie Thackston, was also shot as they attempted to elude Moore, who chased after the repo men in a work-assigned van.
The defense argued that the side mirror of the tow truck collided with Moore's sawed-off shotgun, causing the fatal shot to fire. Jurors didn't buy it.
Thackston, still hampered by his wounds from the shooting, testified the gun was fired after the two vehicles came to a stop. The shooting was no accident, he testified.
As Thomas, shot in the chest, sat comatose in the tow truck, Moore ordered Thackston to release the Ford Mustang. A high-speed chase ensued and Moore eventually abandoned his car.
The jury deliberated for one hour Friday afternoon before resuming Monday morning. They asked to listen a second time to a recording of Thackston's call to 911 after Moore had shot them.
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.
