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A Georgia mom’s courtroom outburst took center stage during her son’s murder trial as she unsuccessfully attempted to sway the jury following its unanimous decision to sentence the pair to life in prison
Demetrice Ross and Brandon Williams were found guilty on fifteen combined charges in connection with the 2022 murder of 60-year-old Thomas Arnold on Atlanta’s BeltLine.
Ross’ mother, Valerie, expressed her delusional belief that her son was not a murderer to the Fulton County jury after the pair was convicted on Wednesday.
“I believe with my whole heart, my whole heart, with my whole heart, with my whole heart, with my whole heart,” a hysterical Valerie Ross said. “My son, Demetrice Ross is innocent.”
The older Ross implied she would appeal her son’s conviction, saying that the jury’s seven-hour deliberation was too short and they didn’t have enough time to discuss the case, according to WSBTV.
Ross and Williams were found guilty of shooting Arnold during a violent attempted robbery as he walked back home after spending the evening with friends on Feb. 26, 2022.
Arnold had been at a bar and left before its 10 p.m. closing time and was believed to have been heading back to his home in the nearby Poncey-Highland neighborhood.
Ross and Williams were spotted on surveillance cameras following a woman, making unwanted advances on the popular path encircling the city around the same time as Arnold.
Williams is believed to be the one to fire the fatal shot.
One friend testified during the trial that Williams had admitted to killing Arnold when he tried to steal a car.
“Can’t leave no witnesses because, no face, no case,” the unidentified witness testified.
The “outstanding individual” had spent the evening with friends and was riding his bike on the Beltline home when he was killed, according to 11Alive.
He was found the next morning suffering from fatal gunshot wounds.
An investigation was launched into the senseless targeted attack and no suspects were arrested until after police released nearby security footage.
Williams was arrested two weeks after Arnold was discovered.
Ross was captured by US Marshals a week later.
The trial began on April 24 and lasted four days before a jury deliberated for several hours on Wednesday.
Ross and Williams both faced eight charges each.
Demetrice Ross guilty charges
- Count 1: Malice murder – Guilty
- Count 2: Felony murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery
- Count 3: Felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- Count 5: Criminal attempt to commit armed robbery
- Count 6: Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- Count 7: Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony
Brandon Williams guilty charges
- Count 1: Malice murder – Guilty
- Count 2: Felony murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery
- Count 3: Felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- Count 4: Felony murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Count: 5: Criminal attempt to commit armed robbery
- Count 6: Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- Count 7: Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony
- Count 8: Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Both men remained straight-faced and silent as they learned the verdicts, only standing up when court officials handcuffed them before the foreperson was done speaking.
Court officials placed both Ross and Williams in handcuffs before the verdicts were finished being read.
Judge Craig Schwall sentenced the two to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“I have a very difficult job. I’ve been a superior court judge for 20 years and I have probably tried 200 felony jury trials, most of them murder cases,” Schwall said, according to courtroom video. “People say ‘how do you do it? how do you deal with all that sadness?’
“It’s never a happy day in this room,” he said before elaborating on the difficulty with the current murder trial. “This case has really affected me. Two words come to mind, cruel and evil. That’s what we have in this case. There’s no reason we should be here.”
Schwall described the murder as “cold and calculated” calling the murderers as examples of inmates who society should fear and convicted felons who would never show positive change after reform programs.
“These defendants conduct was devoid of morality. It was willful and intentional, without any concern for the value of human life,” he said.
The jurist, speaking directly to Ross and Williams said their “repugnant and deprave conduct” earned them the fate of perishing in prison.
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