Richard Adrian Collier was 23 when he died after a night at his Hodges Drive home in Columbus, Georgia, turned violent. On May 14, 2016, what began as a house party ended with a fight; Collier was reportedly trying to intervene to break up an altercation when he was shot and later died. Family and community accounts emphasize that the shooting happened at his home, a place that should have been safe.

Investigators focused on Drevon Johnson as the suspect. The prosecution initially ended without a conviction after a trial that reports describe as deadlocked or resulting in a mistrial. Collier’s family publicly expressed frustration about the pace and handling of the case and pursued legal steps and public statements to press for accountability. In 2022 Johnson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in connection with Collier’s death and received a prison sentence followed by probation, closing the criminal case after years of uncertainty.

If anyone attended the Hodges Drive gathering or has information about the events that night, please share what you know.