In another bizarre case of violence by athletes, 19-year-old A’darius Jashawn Williams pled guilty on Tuesday in connection with the death of Brandon Smith. An accomplice was recently arrested, Qua’vion Jakwon Cooper, Smith’s teammate on the Manchester High School football team.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Smith was last seen alive on Dec. 7, 2023, and family reported him missing on Dec.9, 2023. Just 24 hours later, his body was found behind a home along 3rd Avenue in Manchester. The victim of a dubious and gruesome ending.
Investigators assumed foul play was involved and the Manchester Police Department started a collaborative investigation with the GBI.
A’darius Jashawn Williams Ambushed Brandon Smith Over Perceived Diss
With the walls closing in on him, the district attorney said A’darius Jashawn Williams took the wrap for killing the 17-year-old Smith, in December 2023. According to the DA, Williams reportedly “perceived Smith to have disrespected him” in the days leading up to the murder. He ambushed Williams and shot and killed him. Williams has been sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. He will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years in prison.
Who Was Brandon Smith?
Smith played defensive line on the Manchester High School football team and was known as a “beloved member” of the high school community. His family is sunk in sadness and Meriwether Schools Superintendent Robert Griffin and Manchester High School Principal Suzie Neal said they were “heartbroken” by the news.
Deaths of teenage men with potential are stories that we hear far too often as society continues to be violent in nature. This story, however, is more concerning and nefarious as a month after Smith’s disappearance and death, Williams was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and charged with the murder.
Second Suspect Arrested In Murder Of Manchester High School Football Player Brandon Smith Is His High School Teammate
The cold-hearted Williams was not alone in his murderous intentions as last Thursday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of Qua’vion Jakwon Cooper, who was also charged in the murder of Branson Smith as “a party to the crime.”
Investigators accuse Cooper of being an instrument that “aided and abetted” Williams, who reportedly shot Smith after a verbal altercation. Both Cooper and Smith played for Manchester.
Cooper Starred In State Title Game Days After Killing Teammate Brandon Smith
There’s an even more cold-bolder element to the situation as just days after Brandon Smith was killed, Cooper played in the state championship game for the Blue Devils at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ironically, the team announced that it was playing the big game in Smith’s honor, according to ABC affiliate WXIA at the time.
“This is a different level of sick,” said one netizen on Reddit.
“Just heartless,” said another.
Cooper has been booked in Meriwether County Jail and denied bond. We will keep you updated as more details emerge.