A former Griffin Police Department officer is behind bars for allegedly fumbling the ball on a murder investigation involving his own brother. D'Marquivius Jamon "DJ" King, 25, reportedly turned himself in after a Grand Jury indictment for violating his oath of office in the probe of Javarreis Reid's 2021 murder, as per FOX 5 Atlanta.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) accused King of dropping the ball when he discovered that his sibling may have had a hand in the death, yet he "failed to properly investigate the murder," according to reports by Atlanta News First. King's brother, Damon Beck, 23, wasn't nabbed until two years after Reid's death, facing charges for murder and aggravated assault. Missteps included King's failure to list Beck as a suspect "on any documentation" and not informing his superiors of the potential conflict of interest.
The indictment came down on March 20, and by March 22, King was booked into the Spalding County Jail. The GBI's independent investigation has since been turned over to the Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for further action.
Loss of Reid, a beloved local entrepreneur and father, sent shockwaves through the Griffin community. "I was absolutely devastated [because] I could not believe there was a young brother with a promising future who has a very young daughter, you understand, who he adored," Ray Muhammad, one of Reid's closest friends expressed in a statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta. Muhammad also voiced his outrage over the former officer's alleged cover-up, which severely damaged the community's trust in the local police.
The quest for healing in Griffin began with the appointment of a new police chief at the year's start, offering a glimmer of hope for the restoration of trust. The public is urged to provide any relevant information to the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Columbus or through various anonymous tip lines.
