A Gainesville man will remain in prison for a 2017 murder that happened during a drug deal that went wrong on Carlton Street in the Newtown area of the city.
In a unanimous decision, the Georgia Supreme Court denied a request to overturn the conviction for felony murder and other crimes for Marquis Lejon Studivant. He is currently serving a life sentence for the shooting death of Dennis Ronald Gayton. The victim was shot and killed in front of his teenage son during a botched drug deal on April 4, 2017.
In his appeal, Studivant said the evidence presented at his Hall County trial was insufficient to uphold his convictions. Additionally, he claimed the trial court erred when it denied a motion to suppress certain evidence collected from his vehicle at the time of his arrest. Studivant further claimed he received ineffective representation from his attorney.
The justices disagreed with Studivant's claims and affirmed the conviction and sentence handed down at trial.
Follow this link to read more about the case and about Monday's decision from the Georgia Supreme Court.
