Decatur Man Convicted for Murder of Ex-Girlfriend, Sentenced to Life in Prison

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the conviction of 25-year-old Deeron Hicks for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Ja’Nautica Whitehead, 19. A jury found Hicks guilty of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony on Thursday.

The charges stem from an incident on November 25, 2022, when officers with the DeKalb County Police Department responded to a report of a vehicle parked in a wooded area off Snapfinger Parkway. Upon arrival, they discovered Whitehead’s body inside the vehicle, suffering from gunshot wounds to the head.

Investigations revealed a pattern of escalating violence from Hicks towards Whitehead after she enrolled in college and sought to distance herself from him. In the months leading up to her murder, Hicks had a history of hitting, strangling, and threatening Whitehead with a firearm. Notably, just two weeks prior to the murder, he attacked her in a Waffle House parking lot, strangling her and chasing her with a gun.

On November 25, evidence from cell phone records indicated that Hicks followed Whitehead on her way to work and called her multiple times before she pulled over. He shot her twice in the head at close range.

Hicks was taken into custody without incident on December 17, 2022. Following the guilty verdicts, Judge Desiree Sutton Peagler sentenced Hicks to Life in Prison, plus an additional five years.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Nicole Finnie, with support from Senior Assistant District Attorney Ashley Johnson, District Attorney Investigator Jann Polanco, and Victim Advocate Ashley King. The initial investigation was led by DKPD Det. D.D. Evans.