An Atlanta man has been found guilty in the fatal shooting of his friend over a dispute stemming from a small sum of cash.
Dekalb County police say they responded to a report of shots fired at a home in Decatur in January 2022. When they arrived, they found 48-year-old Quinlan Parker with a gunshot wound to the chest. In a conversation with Parker’s wife, Crystal, investigators learned that 65-year-old Rickey Carter, Parker’s friend, was at the home moments before the shooting. Crystal said Carter knocked on the door and after being allowed inside, began an argument with her husband over money Parker borrowed from him weeks prior: $35.
Parker’s 12-year-old stepdaughter came outside her bedroom after hearing the commotion and began recording the interaction, per the District Attorney’s Office. Next thing she knew, Carter pulled out a handgun and shot Parker.
Now, Carter has a long time to contemplate if that lil $35 was even worth it.
Read more from USA TODAY:
Carter told investigators that he shot Parker in self-defense, but cellphone video showed Parker backing away from the 48-year-old before he fired the fatal shot, the district attorney’s office said.
Once Carter left the home, Crystal Parker attempted to perform CPR on her husband but he did not survive.
Carter was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to the release.
Carter was sentenced to life plus five years in prison.
Crystal Parker recalled Carter showing no remorse for his actions during the trial, the report says. However, after two years of grieving, she was satisfied that justice has finally been served.
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