Three people have pled guilty to Manslaughter charges, for the May 2022 shooting of Derricus Smith on Perkins Street in North Rome.
During a status hearing, before Floyd County Superior Court Chief Judge John “Jack” Niedrach, the three involved all pleaded guilty to their part in the shooting.
Corey Lashun Chatman Jr., age 19 and Justin Antonio Glynn, age 21 – each pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter, and to the possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and they were sentenced to 25 years – to serve six in prison. Malachai Alexander Williams, age 21 pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and also to possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and he was sentenced to 15 years – to serve six in prison.
Floyd County Assistant District Attorney Emily Johnson said “we’re in the middle of an epidemic of people bringing guns to a fistfight, and although many people saw who shot Smith the witnesses were very uncooperative with law enforcement.” According to Johnson – Smith – and Marquivias Nicholson had an altercation, after Nicholson had initially tried to defuse a situation involving Smith; around that time, prosecutors said, Chatman Glynn and Williams arrived and at the time Smith was on top of Nicolson, punching him.
At this point – according to reports – a shot rang out, and Smith collapsed with a bullet in his head. He died in the street.
Court filings show that Glynn, who is currently serving a prison sentence on robbery and also gang charges, at the Wheeler Correctional Facility in South Georgia – pointed to Chatman as the shooter.
When police arrived, they found Smith fatally shot in the head – near 307 Perkins Street. Smith actually lived on nearby Nelm Street.
Witnesses reported that a Dodge Challenger – black in color with several passengers was seen leaving the area.
Williams, Chatman, Glynn and Nicholson were all initially facing Murder and gang activity charges. Charges against Nicolson were dropped, in an updated 2024 indictment.
Gang charges were dropped for the remaining three men, after evidence revealed that the shooting was the result of an argument, and it was NOT a coordinated attack; each of the three previously pleaded guilty to other gang and drug charges stemming from a number of crimes – primarily, in the North Rome area where they all lived while operating under the Real Northside Babies flag.
(WRGA News in Rome, Georgia)