A Stone Mountain man has received a sentence of life without parole following his conviction in the shooting that killed one teenage girl and injured another. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the jury's decision on Thursday, November 6. Malachi Coleman, 23, stood trial for the murder of Jayce Pirtle, 19 and the assault of a 16-year-old girl, according to a statement from the District Attorney's Office.
On the night of January 2, 2023, DeKalb County Police Department officers responded to a distressing scene in a residential neighborhood on Arbor Ridge Drive, where they discovered two gunshot victims. Jayce Pirtle succumbed to a fatal wound to the head and died at the scene, her younger sister, survived, although wounded. The survivor later identified Malachi Coleman as the assailant by name, while in the hospital.
Prosecutors secured a critical piece of evidence, a security camera footage from a nearby home. The video captured the chase, the shooting, and chilling audio with Pirtle pleading for her life. "Malachi stop, please please Malachi no!" were the haunting words caught on tape before her tragic death, sources say as per the Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney website.
The incident stemmed from an argument the day prior to the shooting, where Coleman reportedly became upset with his girlfriend for spending New Year's Eve with Pirtle, her sister and other male relatives. A jury found Coleman guilty on several counts, including Malice Murder, Felony Murder, two counts of Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.
Following the jury's verdict, Superior Court Judge Yolanda Parker-Smith issued the life sentence without parole immediately. The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Ryan Patrick and Kara Roberts, who had support from District Attorney Investigator Jarrod Browder and Victim Advocate LaTonya Gates. Detective A. Crowe from DKPD was credited for spearheading the initial investigation.
The full report on this case can be accessed on the DeKalb County District Attorney's official website.
