On the evening of August 20, 2021, siblings Cedrika Smith, 35, and her brother Robert Bankston Jr., 25, were found shot to death inside a vehicle on Sells Avenue in southwest Atlanta. Authorities described the killings as not random and say the scene indicated a targeted attack.

Investigators detained a 35-year-old man at the scene, later identified as LaMorris Willie Godfrey, who was Cedrika Smith’s boyfriend. Police reported the dispute between Godfrey and the siblings escalated into gunfire; Godfrey was arrested and charged with two counts of murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The killings devastated the family and community. If anyone has information about the events leading up to the shooting or knew Cedrika or Robert, please come forward to help piece together what happened.