Chauncey Renard Powell of Thomaston entered a guilty plea this month to receive life in prison with the possibility of parole for the Aug. 22, 2021 murder of Marlon Smith in Upson County, according to the office of Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Marie Broder.
Powell and Smith were involved in a verbal altercation at Handy Mart when 45-year-old Powell brandished a firearm and shot Smith, resulting in his death. In addition to the life sentence for felony murder, Powell received five years to serve concurrently for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by Thomaston Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division with the help of Spalding County Sheriff’s Office’s Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
It was quickly solved due to the hard work of law enforcement, cooperation of bystanders, and video surveillance provided by nearby businesses, Broder said. Powell was taken into custody early the following morning by Pike SO as he was fleeing northbound through Williamson.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Ashton Jordan and ADA John McAbee prosecuted the case for the state.
“I think this case is a perfect example of how efficiently and effectively cases can be handled when the public works with law enforcement agencies for a common goal,” Senior ADA Jordan stated. “TPD was able to place Powell under arrest within four hours of the murder and get him off the streets.
“I hope this plea brings some closure to the Smith family and allows their healing to begin,” Jordan continued. “I have heard so many nice words about Marlon during the pendency of this case and know he will be missed by many.”
“I am so proud of the work my office did on this case,” DA Broder said. “Marlon will be missed, and hopefully, this sentence will allow them to begin to heal.”
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