A 28-year-old man from Rome, Georgia, Desmond Lavonta Brown, has been convicted of the murder of two half-sisters. The Alabama jury delivered the conviction on November 21, 2023, finding Brown guilty of the murders of Vanita Richardson, 18, and Truvenia Campbell, 30. The incident was caused by Brown’s incorrect assumption that the sisters had taken his wallet at his birthday celebration.
The incident occurred on May 12, 2020, with the trial taking place in Alabama, where the murders are believed to have been committed. The case witnessed a pivotal moment when Brown’s mother found his wallet behind his television, debunking his belief. GBI Special Agent Ghee Wilson reported on Brown’s remorseful realization. The jury, after considering 130 pieces of evidence and listening to 33 witnesses in the seventh trial, reached a verdict in less than an hour, sentencing Brown to life in prison without parole.
During the trial, harrowing details about the murders were disclosed. Co-defendant Christopher Pullen, 26, gave evidence that he, Brown, and another co-defendant, Devin Watts, 40, tricked the sisters into their car by feigning a drug deal. Brown then interrogated the sisters about his wallet before shooting them. Their bodies were subsequently found off a bridge over the Etowah River in Rome, Georgia, with bags over their heads.
District Attorney Summer Summerford, serving DeKalb and Cherokee Counties in Alabama, commended the collaborative efforts in the case’s investigation and prosecution, noting the significant effect on the victims’ families. With the trial concluded, co-defendants Pullen and Watts remain in custody at the Cherokee County Jail in Alabama.
