MARIETTA, Ga. — Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced on Wednesday that Donald Bannister, 17, has been indicted on a laundry list of charges.
Bannister was arrested for the 2021 murder of 30-year-old Norval Bailey in August after Marietta police say he spent more than a year on the run.
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Bailey was found bleeding in the middle of Massachusetts Avenue with several gunshot wounds and taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Carr says that Bannister is also known as Lil Ghost, a known member of 2Solid, a street gang with ties to the Bloods.
“Our new Gang Prosecution Unit is fighting to root out violent gang activity in every corner of our state,” said Carr. “This is our first indictment to come out of metro Atlanta, as we continue our efforts to keep all of Georgia’s families and communities safe.”
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Bannister is named in two indictments.
The first indictment charges him with:
- Two counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, which holds a maximum sentence of 20 years per count
- Murder, which holds a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole
- Felony murder, which holds a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole
- Aggravated assault, which holds a maximum sentence of 20 years
- Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, which holds a maximum sentence of five years
- Possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, which holds a maximum sentence of 10 years
- Criminal attempt to sell marijuana, which holds a maximum sentence of five years
The second indictment charges Bannister in connection to a fight inside the Cobb County Jail in 2020. It charges him with:
- Two counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, which holds a maximum sentence of 20 years per count
- Aggravated assault, which holds a maximum sentence of 20 years
- Simple battery, which holds a maximum sentence of 12 months
“The Cobb County Police Department is immensely proud of the actions of all our officers, investigators, and civilian personnel involved in the indictment of Donald Bannister,” said Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer.
Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit began working in July 2022.
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