JONESBORO — On Wednesday, June 28, Clayton County District Attorney Tasha M. Mosley announced the conviction of Earl Dennard Jr., who had been arrested in connection to a 2021 Riverdale murder.
A Clayton County jury returned a guilty verdict June 23 on malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault.
At the trial, the State presented evidence showing that on Aug. 28, 2021, the victim Davieon Norfus drove to the Chase Ridge Apartments in Riverdale, where he was meeting the defendant, who he knew from high school.
While the victim waited in his car, the defendant parked at a nearby apartment complex, sneaked up on the victim, and immediately shot him in the head through the closed car window.
The defendant then reached into the victim’s car and took items before fleeing the scene on foot.
Prior to succumbing to his injuries, the victim told first responders “Earl” shot him.
Cell phone records showed the defendant was the last person in contact with the victim just minutes before the shooting and social media records showed the victim and the defendant were communicating the day before the incident.
Two eyewitnesses were able to later identify the defendant as the shooter.
During the investigation, police found and collected the defendant’s father’s handgun, which scientific testing revealed to be the murder weapon.
During trial, the defendant testified and claimed that he shot the victim in self-defense.
The District Attorney’s Office said much of the defendant’s testimony was proven to be untruthful and there was no evidence to support his self-defense claim.
Clayton County District Attorney’s Office Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Myers and Assistant District Attorney Nigel Hunter prosecuted the case.
Investigators Khalil Rajahn and Jennifer Langley and Victim Advocates Carla Dixon and Kenya Shepherd also played…
Read the full article here
