Prosecutors believe Georgia college student Anitra Gunn was strangled to death by her boyfriend on Valentine's Day, court proceedings revealed Monday.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Nicole Carr was in Knoxville, Georgia, where Demarcus Little was in court on malice murder charges. According to newly-filed warrants, prosecutors believe the soldier choked Gunn to death at a residential property on a rural road in middle Georgia.
Gunn vanished from Fort Valley, where she was a student at Fort Valley State University, on Feb. 14. Her body was discovered several days later in a wooded area in Crawford County. Investigators say she was killed some time between 2:30 a.m. Feb 14. and just before midnight.
Last week, Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese said that Little was a person of interest in the case and that he’d been arrested on unrelated charges.
New: Judge reads portion of warrant alleging Demarcus Little strangled FVSU student Anitra Gunn to death. Alleges this happened in Crawford Co. on 2/14, thus today's malice murder first appearance here in Knoxville, G.A. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/H71BFCUS1M
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleCarrWSB) February 24, 2020
Little was initially accused of smashing the windows at Gunn’s apartment and slashing her car’s tires days before she vanished.
He was later arrested in connection to her death.
On Monday, Little appeared in court with a new attorney, an ex-military criminal defense lawyer who's biggest public defense revolves around Little's three years service, most recently at Fort Gordon.
"This is a soldier," Benjamin Davis said. "He has a great military background. There's no history of violence in his background. He has no criminal history, so this would be out of character for anyone in his situation to be charged with something like this."
District Attorney David Cook said the warrant isn't based on character, but evidence.
Carr learned Little is a Warner Robins native and was just assigned to his post at Fort Gordon in late December. The 23-year-old served as a unit supply sergeant and had only been in the Army since November 2016. The Army confirmed Little had no combat deployment.
Army officials would not say the last time he reported for duty before Gunn's death.
Little is set to appear in court again in April.
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