A Lilburn man has been convicted for the murder of a 24-year-old over an argument concerning profits from a staged insurance fraud, according to DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston's office. On Thursday, Norman Uriah Simmonds Jr., 45, was found guilty by jurors on multiple charges, including Malice Murder and Felony Murder, related to the fatal shooting of Tyrese Washington on August 31, 2019.

Investigative reports indicate that the incident unfolded after an off-duty police officer from the Douglasville Police Department heard gunshots at an apartment complex in Stone Mountain. The officer was led to a wounded Washington by a witness. Prior to his death, Washington had allegedly planned to meet with someone who owed him money. Court testimony suggests that Washington expected to be paid $1,000 by Simmonds for playing a part in a fake traffic accident, a fee that was never remitted. Regrettably, it appears the payment dispute escalated fatally,

Details provided by the DA’s office showed that police linked Simmonds to the murder through phone records which placed repeated calls and texts to Washington just before the shooting. A court-issued search warrant helped investigators identify the phone number associated with the calls and texts as belonging to Anthony Jones—an alias believed to be used by Simmonds. Further evidence, including location data from the phone, crucially placed it at the crime scene when the murder occurred.

On August 8, after a thorough examination of the evidence, the jury concluded that Simmonds was to without doubt take responsibility for the crime. Senior Judge Daniel Coursey sentenced Simmonds to life without the possibility of parole, followed by an additional five years. As reported by the DeKalb County District Attorney's office, the case was expertly handled by Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney Josh Geller, ADA Ellie Harris, and DA Investigator John Wilbanks, with Det. Evans of the DeKalb County Police Department spearheading the initial investigation.