Robert May III, 39, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of Saturday, November 19, 2022, on College Avenue in Sparta. Hancock County deputies found May lying in the street beside his girlfriend’s car, at a spot described as a popular local hangout. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisted the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators say the shooting stemmed from a dispute between May and 20-year-old Treyvion Markise Crayton of Sparta. Authorities allege May was first shot in the shoulders and then, at point-blank range, in the face and head with a large-caliber .223 rifle; his body was described as bullet-riddled. Two firearms — a Glock .40-caliber pistol and an AR-style rifle — were recovered from the victim’s vehicle. Prosecutors showed a home security video they say captured the shooting and another video of Crayton reenacting the killing at his residence.

On the morning his trial was to begin, Crayton entered a blind plea of guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Judge Alison T. Burleson sentenced him to 20 years in prison. May’s mother, Betty Simmons of Milledgeville, addressed the court before sentencing, asking for the maximum sentence.

Did anyone in Sparta know Robert May III or see him that night who can add details about what happened?