The trial of the second of three men charged in the slaying Atlanta boxing champ Vernon Forrest entered its closing phase Friday in Fulton County Superior Court.
A jury next week is to begin deliberating the fate of Jquante Crews, the alleged getaway driver in the deadly July 2009 robbery.
Crews is charged with murder, two counts of felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a two other felony charges for gun possession.
One man, DeMario Ware, has already been convicted of felony murder and armed robbery for his part – the stick-up that initiated the shooting – in Forrest’s shooting death, and is now serving a life sentence without the prospect of parole.
Another man, Charman Sinkfield, awaits trial for allegedly shooting Forrest in the back.
Crews faces the same fate as Ware if found guilty of malice murder or either of the charges of felony murder – causing a death while committing a felony. The jury must decide if Crews was a participant in the events leading to Forrest’s killing.
Assistant District Attorney Peter Johnson pointed to Georgia’s party-to-a-crime laws when he told the jury that Crews was culpable in Forrest’s death.
“DeMario Ware hid inside the doorway of the apartment when he ran from Vernon,” Johnson said as he began his closing arguments Friday. “Who came and got him? Jquante Crews.”
“When Vernon Forrest turned and walked away, and Charman Sinkfield shot him in the back, who was at DeMario Ware’s house with him right after? Jquante Crews. Jquante Crews is just as responsible as DeMario Ware and Charman Sinkfield,” he said.
But defense attorney Josh Moore said, “Ninety-eight percent of the evidence in this case has nothing to do with Jquante Crews.”
“Where is Jquante Crews? In order to … convict him of a crime of murder, you have to make assumption after assumption after assumption," Moore said.
On the night of July 25, 2009, Forrest stopped his Jaguar sedan at a Chevron convenience store at 490 Whitehall St. to let a 10-year-old boy with him buy some candy while he put air in his tires.
While Forrest was filling the tire, Ware approached and demanded the boxer’s money, diamond Rolex watch and gold championship ring at gunpoint.
As Ware fled, Forrest retrieved his own handgun and gave chase, firing a single shot. Ware lost his pursuer by ducking into an apartment building on McDaniel Street. Then, Forrest encountered Sinkfield.
After a heated exchange, witnesses told police Forrest turned to walk away, and Sinkfield began shooting at the prize fighter.
Johnson argued that all of the suspects' actions that night were choreographed, and that they convened later that evening to split the booty and hide the murder weapon.
“You can’t look at this case in a vacuum,” Johnson said. “You can’t look at just one person’s actions. You need to look at each person’s actions in relation to one another.”
Moore said the evidence didn’t support the charges against Crews or allegations that Crews was a willing party to Forrest’s killing.
“Without proof of an agreement and an intentional knowing participation by Mr. Crews, you don’t have evidence to convict him,” Moore told the jury.
Late Friday afternoon, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Alford J. Dempsey Jr. told the jury of 12 women and 2 men that Johnson would give his closing rebuttal at 9:30 a.m. Monday. The jury will then begin deliberating the case.
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