2 teens plead guilty to murder in shooting death of star Georgia football player

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Two suspects involved in the death of a 17-year-old star football player have learned their fate.

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Elijah DeWitt, of Jefferson, was shot to death in a parking lot outside Dave & Buster’s at Sugarloaf Mills on October 5, 2022.

DeWitt was a star player for Jefferson High School in Jackson County.

On Monday, Kamare Bryan, then-18, and Chandler Richardson, then-19, pleaded guilty to felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Gwinnett Court Judge Ronnie Batchelor sentenced Richardson to life with the possibility of parole plus five years.

Bryan was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole plus five years.

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A third suspect in the case, Kpadeh Jones,19, of Lawrenceville, is charged with one count of malice murder. It’s unclear if he’s been offered a plea deal.

When Bryan and Richardson appeared in court, detectives said text messages revealed that Bryan and Richardson were looking for someone to rob that night and that DeWitt was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Days before the murder, police said Bryan and Richardson approached DeWitt and his group of friends to ask if they could buy drugs from them.

“They were approached by three individuals who asked the victim if they had any marijuana they could purchase,” a detective said.

The detective said there was an apparent drug deal on Oct. 3, but it didn’t involve DeWitt.

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Channel 2′s Elizabeth Rawlins talked to Dawn DeWitt, Elijah’s mother, who said her son was enjoying his fall break and spending time with family and friends when he was killed.

“I wish we could say there was a fight or something like that, but he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Dawn DeWitt said.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Deputy-involved shooting investigation underway, heavy police presence at metro Atlanta BP

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