When four brutal murders happened in 1998 and 2000, it rocked the entire town. Similarly, a jailhouse snitch contacted law enforcement to say Devonia had confessed in prison, but again, his testimony was not the most sound, and he, too, later recanted. But heres where things get even crazier. Partly cloudy. Officers found Pierce in the parking lot of a nearby business with a gunshot wound. GA attorney general defends murder conviction despite justices concerns, Let Justice Be Done: Georgia Justice Call on AG to Consider Ending Fight Over New Murder Trial, Listen to Murder Below the Gnat Line: GIP Case Featured in Season 4 of AJCs Breakdown. Some parts 2023 Advameg, Inc. Crime rate in Adel, Georgia (GA): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. It seems to be a likely mix of racial profiling and Devonia surrounding himself with the wrong kind of people. The GBI was requested by APD to assist with the investigation on April 14, 2019. At approximately 4:00 p.m., the Adel Police Department responded to 1113 Birch Street, Adel, Cook County, GA, in reference to a 911 call of a body found in a wooded area. Hercules Brown worked at the very same Taco Bell as Donna Brown at the same time and would often work closing shifts. AUGUSTA, GA. (WTXL) A man who spent 23 years in prison for a murder at fast-food restaurant in Adel, Georgia was released from prison. (The US average is 22.7) Adel (zip 31620) property crime is 50.7. WebIn the early morning hours of September 19th, 1998 the manager of a Taco Bell in Adel, GA was robbed and murdered in the restaurant parking lot. The 2017 Adel She determined that Inmans constitutional rights were violated, including by the prosecutions failure to disclose evidence suggesting Hercules Brown committed the crime. Devonia Inman, 43, was convicted in 2001 for armed robbery and murder of a Taco Bell manager in Adel back in 1998, according to the Georgia Innocence Project. ABC 27.1; Bounce TV 27.2; Grit 27.3; Ion Mystery 27.4; Court TV 27.4; The biggest break in the case came when the police returned Donnas car to her family, and they found a ski mask inside that the police somehow overlooked. Copyright 2021 WALB. Pierce was taken to South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta and later taken to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla. Whitehead was pronounced dead at South Georgia Medical Center. WebFebruary 24, 2022. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure youre on an official state website. In 1998, the manager of an Adel Taco Bell was robbed and shot in the parking lot of the restaurant. Kenney was charged with one count of Felony Murder and one count of Aggravated Assault and booked into the Cook County Jail. Great News! Berrian was booked into the Cook County Jail. As Devonia sat in jail for over two years awaiting trial, Brown apparently went on to violently assault two people in the community and kill two other people and he is now in prison. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Berrian was arrested and charged with one count of Felony Murder, one count of Aggravated Assault, one count of Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon, and one count of Possession of Firearm during the Commission of a Crime, in connection to the death of Tenesha Mordon, 41, of Valdosta. It started in the fall of 1998 when single mother Donna Brown was shot almost point-blank in the Taco Bell parking lot. Man charged with murder in 2020 Brooks Co. football players death, Officer-involved shooting reported in Ashburn, APD looking for domestic violence suspect, Albany Symphony Orchestra to present Classical Kids LIVE performance, SWGA residents federally charged with bank fraud and identity theft, MORE: 1 dead, 2 injured in Cook Co. shooting, MORE: Mother still pleads for information after son killed at Adel party. What should WTXL be covering in this community. WebEpisode One "Adel, Georgia" Premieres September 9 at 10 p.m. It was higher than in 96.5% U.S. cities. When an immigrant couple who settled in the Tennessee town of Cookeville is executed in their sleep and their house set on fire, investigators quickly identify a suspect with motive. For the double-homicide, law enforcement believed Hercules Brown to be the culprit. Her killer took from her about $1,700 of the days receipts Still, the court denied the request, claiming that the ski mask did not prove Devonia wasnt there, asserting only that Hercules might have also been involved. Each episode sees Morgan meet with family members and local insiders as she explores the twists and turns of the case and uncovers the unique challenges of small-town justice. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Last month, Inmans petition was granted, which forced the state of Georgia to give Inman a new trial. WebBack in 1998, Donna Brown, a manager at the Taco Bell in tiny Adel, Georgia, was murdered in the parking lot after closing up for the night. More than 20 years later, new evidence raises a startling question: Is an innocent man serving life for another man's crime? The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. It took a really long time to fix, even though it was so clear I wasnt guilty. City-data.com does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of any information on this site. On Tuesday, December 31, 2019, the Adel Police Department received a 911 call reporting a shooting in the vicinity of 305 N. Adams Street. ADEL, Ga. (WALB) - Three people have been indicted in the 2019 death of Emmanuel Whitehead, 18, in Adel, according to a press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). While Devonia was in jail awaiting trial, police arrested Brown on an attempted robbery and he had a homemade ski mask in his possession that was very similar to the distinctive homemade ski mask from the Taco Bell Murder. Exoneree support services will be offered by the independent nonprofits. GAPS - Georgia Applicant Processing Service, Georgia Criminal History Record Restrictions, Obtaining Criminal History Record Information, The investigation is active and ongoing. An official website of the State of Georgia. The killer stole $1,700 and the victims car. Well revisit this point further down. Published: Feb. 24, 2022 at 2:10 PM PST. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. WebFor Adel, we found that the violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. There was only one persons DNA on the mask: Hercules Browns.. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Higher means more crime, U.S. average is 270.6. Years after Devonias trial, Georgia Innocence Project secured DNA testing on the homemade ski mask that was found in the Taco Bell victims car. Finally, on December 20th, 2021, twenty-three years after he was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, almost eight years after a court first heard DNA evidence of his innocence, and two years after Georgia Supreme Court justices urged Georgia's Attorney General to "Let Justice Be Done," Devonia Inman was freed from prison and exonerated. (His) willingness to face contempt and disciplinary action father than provide testimony or even invoke his Fifth Amendment rights further justifies this Court drawing an adverse inference here, Graham said in the order. The Court draws an adverse inference as the finder of fact in this proceeding that (he) committed the murder of Donna Brown, the order concludes. Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. Inman, who has always professed his innocence, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1998 murder of Donna Brown, a Taco Bell night manager in Adel. He says it was suicide, but her family believes it was murder. A Chattooga County Superior Court Judge has granted Devonia Inmans habeas Why is it so hard to right a wrong in Georgia? But in their rush to make an arrest, do they get the wrong man? Tavares Askew, 19, was charged with two counts of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault and is being held in the Baldwin County Jail. Kenney All three subjects were already in custody on previous charges, the press release states. Our mission is to prevent and correct wrongful convictions while also connecting freed clients to resources to rebuild their lives. There is hope. Units were then dispatched to a nearby convenience store where Whitehead was found, also suffering from a gunshot wound. In the early morning darkness in little Adel, night manager Donna Brown locked up the Taco Bell and carried the 2023 Georgia Innocence Project. (Photo: Georgia Innocence Project) At about 2 a.m. on September 19, 1998, 40-year-old Donna Brown was robbed and fatally shot as she left her job at a Taco Bell restaurant in Adel, Georgia. An official website of the State of Georgia. All rights reserved. You can learn more here on our blog. WebSUMMERVILLE In 2001, Devonia Tyrone Inman was convicted of killing a woman in Adel. The Georgia Supreme Court then denied Devonias request to appeal Judge McConnells decision., Judge McConnells decision meant that Devonia would remain wrongfully imprisoned sentenced to die behind prison bars and that no jury ever would hear that:. On Wednesday, February 16, 2022, the GBIs Douglas Office received a request from the Adel Police Department to assist with a death investigation. Episode Four "Cookeville, Tenn." Premieres Sept. 30 at 10 p.m. Devonia walked out of Augusta State Medical Prison and into the arms of family just in time to celebrate his first Christmas as a free man in more than two decades. Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Exoneree support services will be offered by the independent nonprofits After Innocence and the Northern California Innocence Project. Jump to a detailed profile, search site with google or try advanced search. When police arrived, there was a large crowd fleeing the area. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Georgia Supreme Court Adopts Rule to Hold Prosecutors Accountable for Misconduct The primary duty of the prosecutor is to seek Devonia Inman Exonerated After 23 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment Twenty three years after he was imprisoned for a crime he Court Grants Devonia Inmans Habeas Corpus Petition! When officers arrived, they found Penny deceased. Will wealth and status protect a killer, or will a determined police officer crack the case? Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Proudly powered by, The key witnesses who implicated Devonia recanted (save one incentivized and directly contradicted witness);, Hercules Brown confessed to people that Brown committed the Taco Bell murder; or, Hercules Browns DNA, and only his DNA, was found on the homemade ski mask recovered from the Taco Bell managers car., In September 2019, the Georgia Supreme Court denied the AGs attempt to appeal. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app. When four brutal murders happened in 1998 and Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure youre on an official state website. 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