The Gist: Joshua Cortez Ellis, 25, from Stockbridge, was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, plus an additional five years, for the murder of Ronald Peters during a robbery in 2019.
❓ What’s Happening:
- On June 4, 2019, Ronald Peters, 28, was confronted by two men near his Decatur home. They demanded his backpack, and when Peters resisted, Ellis shot him. Peters later succumbed to his injuries at Atlanta Medical Center.
- Surveillance footage and subsequent investigations linked Ellis to the crime, showing him using Peters’ debit card post the incident. The vehicle used, a maroon Chevy pickup truck, was identified as stolen from Clayton County a day prior to the murder.
🔍 Between the Lines:
- Witnesses reported that after shooting Peters, Ellis took his backpack and shot him again before fleeing the scene.
- Detectives traced the usage of Peters’ debit card after the shooting, leading them to surveillance footage of Ellis and two co-defendants, Tyreese Johnson and Shaleeya Moore.
- Both Johnson and Moore are awaiting trial on related charges.
