A DeKalb County man has been convicted and sentenced for his role in two shootings, one of them being fatal, at a local apartment complex, according to a recent announcement from DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston. Last Friday, Rontell Devon Shelton, 40, was found guilty of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and firearms charges related to the separate incidents that occurred in December 2019.
Prosecutors painted a grim picture of violence that unfolded at the Stone Mountain apartment complex, the first incident happening on December 19, where a man, caught in a jealous love triangle, was critically wounded, although he initially refused prosecution, he later recanted providing a key statement to Detective and in a January 2020 interview, he explained he was visiting his girlfriend when he encountered Shelton, her ex-boyfriend, at the scene. After confronting the pair, Shelton drew a weapon and shot him, according to a statement obtained by the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office. The second and fatal shooting, just eleven days later at the same location, took the life of 28-year-old Jordan McPherson under tragically surreal circumstances after a casual encounter over a loose dog escalated into a deadly confrontation.
Ballistic evidence confirmed that the same firearm was used in both shootings, which bolstered the case against Shelton, linking him definitively to the scenes of the crimes. After the jury delivered the guilty verdict, Superior Court Judge Asha Jackson handed down a sentence of life without parole plus an additional 25 years to Shelton, ensuring that the repercussions of his actions were met with the full weight of the law.
The investigation and subsequent trial drew upon the coordinated efforts of the Homicide and Gang Unit, with Senior Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Scacco leading the prosecution with help from Senior Assistant District Attorney Reid White and others, condensed expertise and intense scrutiny of evidence, ultimately laid out a path to justice that could not be refuted. According to the District Attorney's Office, Detectives Redrick and Byars were credited with the lead investigative roles that navigated through the complexities of the case and delivered clarity amidst the chaos left in the wake of these violent acts.
