Seventeen-year-old Brandon Smith, a Manchester High School student and defensive lineman, was last seen alive on December 7, 2023, and reported missing two days later. His body was found on December 10, 2023, behind a residence on 3rd Avenue in Manchester. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined he had been shot and killed after an argument on the day he disappeared.

The investigation identified two people allegedly involved. Authorities charged 19-year-old A’darius Jashawn Williams in January 2024; prosecutors say Williams ambushed Smith outside his home, chased him and shot him after feeling disrespected because Smith had taken a gun from Williams days earlier. Williams later pleaded guilty to malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and weapons possession and received life with parole possible after 30 years. In May 2025, investigators charged 17-year-old Qua’vion Jakwon Cooper as a party to the crime, alleging he aided and abetted Williams; that case remains pending.

Are there readers who knew Brandon, his routines, or who were in Manchester that week and can help fill gaps in the timeline?