(Lawrenceville, Ga., 10/21/24) – A Loganville man was found guilty of murder for a deadly 2021 drive-by shooting intended as payback for a robbery.

A Gwinnett County jury on Monday morning convicted Makilyn Chavon Manzie, 21, of malice murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the March 13, 2021, shooting death of 20-year-old Devond Holmes. Manzie was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 25 years.

“Taking a life in such a premeditated and violent way is outrageous and intolerable,” said District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. “We mourn for the victim and continue to share our condolences with his family and loved ones. This verdict and life sentence is a message that we will always hold those who commit crimes like this accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

On the morning of the shooting, Holmes and Demontries Rule had fallen asleep in Holmes’ SUV which was parked in front of Rule’s home on Foxberry Run in Loganville. Rule woke to gunfire, a gunshot wound to his arm, and his friend dead next to him. A witness testified that around 6:27 a.m., a black sedan driving on the street opened fire on the SUV. Ring footage from a nearby home was played during the trial and showed a black car drive by and the sound of rapid gunfire seconds after it passed.

Witness testimony identified the drive-by vehicle as a Chrysler 300 with drive-out tags. Manzie, who was 17 at the time, had purchased the Chrysler nearly four months earlier. The jury saw evidence that Manzie drove from his home to Rule’s neighborhood just over a mile away several times. Evidence also showed that he turned off his phone and the security cameras at his own home before leaving that morning for Rule’s home.

Investigators were able to help prosecutors create a timeline of events beginning from when Manzie initially left his home that morning to just after the shooting. At approximately 6:30 a.m., he sent a text message to his girlfriend instructing her to report the AR-15 used in the shooting as stolen.

Police eventually identified the car and made a traffic stop because of the tags. They found Manzie inside with the murder weapon, wrapped in Haitian flags to divert blame for the shooting away from himself. Police also found armor-piercing ammunition that matched the bullets that killed Holmes. Manzie was arrested.

When questioned by police, Manzie admitted to investigators that Holmes had recently robbed him. Text messages discovered between the two – including a final message in January from Manzie calling Holmes “Brutus” – indicated a conflict. Manzie denied shooting Holmes, however.

The jury began deliberations late Friday afternoon and returned the verdict Monday morning after less than four hours.

Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorney Nam Nguyen and Managing Assistant District Attorney Chris Lewis prosecuted the case. They were assisted by District Attorney’s investigator Ryan Thurmond and Victim Witness Advocate Trina Bradford.

The Gwinnett County Police Department was instrumental in helping to prosecute this case.