Devonia Inman embraces family upon release. According to our research of Georgia and other state lists, there were 53 registered sex offenders living in Adel, Georgia as of March 01, 2023. Devonia reached out to the Georgia Innocence Project, and they took on his case due to mounting evidence that he was likely innocent. It started in the fall of 1998 when single mother Donna Brown was shot almost point-blank in the Taco Bell parking lot. www .cityofadel .us. Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Exoneree support services will be offered by the independent nonprofits After Innocence and the Northern California Innocence Project. When four brutal murders happened in 1998 and All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Law enforcement investigating possible shooting on I-10 near north Monroe, Remains recently found in St. Marks Refuge confirmed to be missing Tallahassee father, One person injured in Lake Bradford Road shooting, Collision closes lanes on North Monroe Street, Parents and teachers concerned about state of Gadsden County school district, publicfile@live5news.com - (843) 402-5555. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 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. The 2017 Adel Unlike Donnas case, Shaileshs murderer was never found, and the case is still marked as unsolved. The GBI was requested by APD to assist with the investigation on April 14, 2019. Great News! EDITOR'S NOTE: In late December 2021, Devonia Inman was exonerated of the conviction that sent him to prison. Devonias attorneys tried to call witnesses to show that another man, Hercules Brown, had actually committed and admitted to the crime. Episode Five "Shelbyville, Ky." Premieres Oct. 7 at 10 p.m. For the double-homicide, law enforcement believed Hercules Brown to be the culprit. An official website of the State of Georgia. 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:. And Inman will always be part of the GIP family and Georgias exoneree community. While Inmans future is bright, there is still a long road ahead. Possession of a Firearm. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. You can read bothpress releases on this case on the GBIs website. You have permission to edit this article. With the Georgia Attorney Generals decision not to appeal, the Alapaha Judicial Circuit District Attorney quickly and successfully moved to dismiss all underlying charges against Devonia, officially exonerating him of the 1998 Taco Bell Murder. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. An official website of the State of Georgia. 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. WebCrime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) Adel (zip 31620) violent crime is 39.0. The investigation is active and ongoing. Episode One "Adel, Georgia" Premieres September 9 at 10 p.m. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Douglas Office at (912) 389-4103 or the Adel Police Department at (229) 896-2224. Without one, exonerees like Devonia Inman are left on their own, with virtually no support from the State, to rebuild their lives. To compound the injustice, it turns out that at the time of Devonias original trial, prosecutors possessed and withheld evidence linking Hercules Brown to the Taco Bell Murder, despite proclaiming that there was not one scintilla of such evidence. She was the daughter of the late Burton B. and Ruth Gray Bennett. Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. Adel, GA (January 1, 2020) On Tuesday, December 31, 2019, the GBIs Douglas Regional Office received a request from the Adel Police Department to assist with a death investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Office in Douglas, GA at (912) 389-4103, or Adel Police Department at (229) 896-2225. Our mission is to prevent and correct wrongful convictions while also connecting freed clients to resources to rebuild their lives. He was freed after wrongly being imprisoned for 23 years. Wilson and Pickett were already in custody in the Lowndes County jail on unrelated charges. Jump to a detailed profile, search site with google or try advanced search. Hilarie Burton in It Couldnt Happen Here Season 1 Photo Credit: SundanceTV. Unfortunately, Georgia is one of only 13 states that does not currently have a statutory compensation law to provide financial relief for years lost to wrongful conviction. As a result, sometimes killers walk free, or in the case of the shows first episode, the wrong man might wind up behind bars. In the early morning darkness in little Adel, night manager Donna Brown locked up the Taco Bell and carried the 2023 Georgia Innocence Project. Oscar universe belongs to 'Everything Everywhere', By Terry Richards terry.richards@gaflnews.com. In many rural areas, the local law enforcement is not accustomed to handling violent crime and homicide because they simply dont occur as often. Adel, GA (December 21, 2020) On Saturday, December 19, 2020, the GBI and Adel PD arrested Lebray Berrian, 32, of Adel. 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. 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. When a 22-year-old dancer goes missing, the men of the neighboring town who frequented the club become the suspect pool. GAPS - Georgia Applicant Processing Service, Georgia Criminal History Record Restrictions, Obtaining Criminal History Record Information, Facebook page for Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Twitter page for Georgia Bureau of Investigation, https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, GBI Makes Arrest in Adel Murder Investigation. In June of this year, Katrina Cook Graham, chief judge of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, issued an order drawing adverse inference named another state inmate as the killer. Yes, the cops say, he is. Following a June 2021 contested hearing, Judge Graham granted Inmans habeas corpus petition. WebADEL, 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 When Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Kristina Cook Graham ruled that Devonias habeas could proceed, the AG tried to appeal her decision.. Additionally, then-Presiding Justice Nahmias and then-Chief Justice Melton issued, reminding prosecutors of their power to ensure justice is served and urging the Attorney General himself to personally review Inmans case and determine whether justice was actually served by continuing to oppose Inmans efforts for a new trial. The investigation is active and ongoing. No physical evidence linked Devonia to Im glad I get to finally go home, and Im grateful to everyone who helped make that possible.. Adel is the type of place where everyone knows everyone, and maintaining a tight-knit community is important to the locals. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Douglas Office at (912) 389-4103 or the Adel Police Department at (229) 896-2224. State of Georgia government websites and email systems use georgia.gov or ga.gov at the end of the address. In the series premiere, host Hilarie Burton Morgan visits Adel, Georgia, to investigate a devasting crime spree that occurred more than 20 years ago, resulting in the death of four people and the possible imprisonment of an innocent man. The description of the episode given on SundanceTVs website reads A man is charged with a brutal murder; DNA evidence may point to another man as the real killer.. Payne and Robinsons final cause of death will be determined during the autopsy by the GBI Medical Examiners Office in Macon. As Hilarie talks to his family, its devasting to hear how they thought the DNA would mean Devonia would go free from prison. Adel, GA (February 24, 2022) On February 23, 2022, Bryant Kenney, 50, of Adel, was arrested in connection to the death of Donald Penny, age 81. Twenty-year-old Devonia Inman, At Devonias death penalty trial in 2001, the State suggested that he wore the ski mask as he shot and killed the victim. After the DNA results implicated Hercules rather than Devonia in the Taco Bell Murder, GIP, in partnership with attorneys Knox Dobbins and Jason Stone from Eversheds Sutherland, sought a new trial for Devonia. Incentivized Witnesses, Murder WebWe found 14 TV stations broadcasting 57 digital TV channels in the Adel, Georgia, area, including local CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and CW affiliates. 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. In July 2021, a new judge was appointed to review the case and is considering the Hercules Brown evidence. At the noticed date and time, (he) failed and refused to appear, according to Grahams order. WebAt 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. 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. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure youre on an official state website. Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Court Grants Devonia Inmans Habeas Corpus Petition! 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. The killer could only be someone she knew closely, and the case divides the town. The responding officers found Quinten Payne, 34, deceased with gunshot wounds. 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. (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. His release comes one month after a superior court judge granted Mr. Inmans petition for habeas corpus relief. When police arrived, there was a large crowd fleeing the area. There are flower festivals and a quaint street adorned with family-run mom-and-pop shows. WebOn April 8, 2000, at approximately 1:20 p.m., Shailesh Patel was found murdered at his brother-in-law's residence located on North Gordon Avenue, Adel, Cook County, 33 Local News This homicide further horrified a community that was already shaken and grieving from the continuous bloodshed. State of Georgia government websites and email systems use georgia.gov or ga.gov at the end of the address. Episode Three "St. Augustine, Fla." Premieres Sept. 23 at 10 p.m. A young woman in St. Augustine, Fla. with everything to live for is found shot to death with the gun belonging to her boyfriend, a deputy sheriff. He says it was suicide, but her family believes it was murder. (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. WebAUGUSTA, GA. (WTXL) A man who spent 23 years in prison for a murder at fast-food restaurant in Adel, Georgia was released from prison. A Chattooga County Superior Court Judge has granted Devonia Inmans habeas Why is it so hard to right a wrong in Georgia? Web229. Crime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) Adel violent crime is 24.7. Published: Feb. 24, 2022 at 2:10 PM PST. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Adel Police Department (229) 896-2224 or the GBI Region 4 office (912) 389-4103. Devonia was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 1998 murder of Donna Brown in Adel, Georgia. WebADEL, 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 Justice, not victory, is our chief goal. So say GA attorney general defends murder conviction despite justices concerns Outlet: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Author: Bill Rankin Published: 12/19/2019 Read: Here We have more EXCITING NEWS in the Devonia Inman case! WebCrime in Adel, Georgia. 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. The city of Adel / edl / is the county seat of Cook County, Georgia, United States, [4] located fifty-two miles (84 km) southeast of Albany. WebHe was freed after wrongly being imprisoned for 23 years. (The US average is 35.4) NOTE: Click on the links below to see charts for each crime category. She was almost immediately accosted and killed. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. How you know. It was higher than in 96.5% U.S. cities. The first three episodes are now available to view on Screeners.com. Background based on a previous GBI release: On Sunday, April 14, 2019, just before 1 a.m., the Adel Police Department (APD) responded to a shots fired call at The Stage in the 100 block of West First Street. There is hope. Yep. Later, she even recanted her statement in a letter. Each violation, according to Judge Graham, demonstrates the fundamental unfairness of Mr. Inmans trial, undermines the Courts confidence in the outcome of the trial and related conviction, and justifies granting habeas corpus relief.. To assist with the investigation on April 14, 2019 in.gov is bright, there was a crowd... Quaint street adorned with family-run mom-and-pop shows family, its devasting to how. It so hard to right a wrong in Georgia part of the late Burton B. and Gray! Mission is to prevent and correct wrongful convictions while also connecting freed clients to resources to rebuild their.... Reporter at the Valdosta Daily Times of 1998 when single mother Donna in... 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