Benjamin Lloyd Cloer, 26, was shot multiple times and killed at his Athens, Georgia residence on Old Jefferson Road on a Sunday evening in November 2019. A University of Georgia graduate student nearing a master’s degree in artificial intelligence, Cloer was rushed to a local hospital by first responders but died of his injuries.

The shooter was identified as Winford Trey Terrell Adams, a 32-year-old off-duty Madison County sheriff’s deputy. Adams reportedly shot Cloer in the hand and twice in the back, then called 911 and confessed to the shooting. He was taken into custody at the scene and later dismissed from the Sheriff’s Office.

A grand jury indicted Adams on seven felony counts including malice murder, felony murder, first-degree home invasion and aggravated assault. Adams later changed his plea and in March 2022 pleaded guilty to felony murder and one count of aggravated assault; he was sentenced to life plus 10 years. Cloer’s family disputed claims of an affair at sentencing and testified about his character and the loss to their family.