Man convicted of murdering two sisters he thought took his wallet, which turned out to be behind his television
In Alabama, jurors found a man guilty of murdering two half-sisters he thought had stolen his wallet during his birthday celebration.
Desmond Lavonta Brown, 28, erred. According to the Rome News-Tribune, his mother called him after the killings to say she found the missing item behind his television in the living room. Brown was seen cursing as he pulled out of a Zaxby’s drive-thru when he discovered the truth, according to pretrial testimony.
“He said, ‘I just got two bodies for nothing,'” according to GBI Special Agent Ghee Wilson.
Brown will now face a life sentence without the possibility of parole, according to prosecutors, after jurors reached their decision in less than an hour. Vanita Richardson, 18, and Truvenia Campbell, 30, had attended his birthday party on May 12, 2020, at his house in Rome, Georgia. Authorities tried Brown in Alabama since it is where the killings allegedly occurred.
Prosecutors claim that Desmond Lavonta Brown murdered Vanita Richardson and Truvenia Campbell. (Mug shot: District Attorney Summer Summerford of Alabama’s DeKalb and Cherokee Counties)
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One of Brown’s co-defendants, Christopher Pullen, 26, reportedly said at trial that he and Devin Watts, 40, invited the women to join them on a heroin deal. It was a ruse. Brown constantly questioned the women on the location of his wallet during the trip before seizing Campbell’s pocketbook and shooting her three times. Pullen, who claimed he did not witness who committed the previous murder, said that Richardson gave him her purse and she, too, was shot and died.
As co-defendants of the principal defendant, Desmond Lavonta Brown, Christopher Pullen, left, and Devin Watts, right, were charged with murder. (Photos courtesy of Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities claimed the deceased Richardson and Campbell were dumped off a bridge spanning the Etowah River in Rome, with bags on their heads. Inspectors from the bridge discovered their remains.
Say Their Names: Stepsisters Vanita Richardson & Truvenia Campbell Found Dead Under Georgia Bridge With Bags On Their Heads And Tattered Clothes
(Image via family)https://t.co/Mw9VM93AMI pic.twitter.com/oHNlHwxVOL
— Bossip (@Bossip) May 18, 2020
“This case was made possible by cooperation between multiple agencies,” said Summer Summerford, district attorney of DeKalb and Cherokee Counties in Alabama. “Many thanks to the many individuals who played a part in this investigation and prosecution. Also, a special thanks to GBI Special Agent Ghee Wilson and the Floyd County District Attorney’s Office. The families of the victims have been diligent during this process. They loved Vanita and Truvenia and are committed to seeing the process through. Many people do not realize how difficult this process is on families who have lost their loved ones in a brutal and horrific way. Our prayers continue for them through this holiday season. I also want to say a special ‘thank you’ to the jurors who gave up the better part of a month of their lives to act as the community’s representatives. Their attention during the whole process was extraordinary. Listening and seeing the evidence in this case was not an easy thing to do.”
According to online records, Pullen and Watts are still being held at the Cherokee County Jail in Alabama.
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