Robert Donnell Brown, 46, was fatally shot in the front yard of a Melrose Avenue residence in Griffin, Georgia, in the early morning hours of July 14, 2020. Police were called for a person shot around 12:15 a.m. and found Brown deceased at the scene. Investigators say the shooting arose from an argument over stolen property Brown was trying to recover; he was struck three times in the back during the confrontation.

Authorities identified 16-year-old Malik Yarbrough as the primary suspect within hours and took him into custody later that day with help from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office. Yarbrough was charged as an adult with felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. At trial he asserted self-defense, but a Spalding County jury convicted him of malice murder and felony murder on March 9, 2022; the jury deliberated about 25 minutes.

On June 8, 2022, Yarbrough, then 18, received a life-without-parole sentence; the judge cited a lengthy criminal history and what was described as a lack of remorse.