Loganville Man Convicted of Murder in 2021 Drive-By Shooting
A Loganville man, Makilyn Chavon Manzie, 21, was found guilty of murder by a Gwinnett County jury on Monday for a deadly 2021 drive-by shooting that was intended as payback for a robbery. Manzie was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the March 13, 2021, shooting death of 20-year-old Devond Holmes.
Manzie was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 25 years.
According to testimony, Holmes and Demontries Rule had fallen asleep in an SUV parked in front of Rule’s home on Foxberry Run in Loganville. Rule awoke to gunfire, suffering a gunshot wound to his arm, and found Holmes dead beside him. A black sedan, identified as a Chrysler 300, was seen on surveillance footage driving by and opening fire on the SUV at approximately 6:27 a.m.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Manzie, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, had purchased the Chrysler months earlier and had driven multiple times to Rule’s neighborhood just over a mile away. Prosecutors presented a timeline showing that Manzie turned off his phone and security cameras at his home before the shooting. After the crime, he sent a text to his girlfriend instructing her to report the AR-15 used in the shooting as stolen.
Police later arrested Manzie during a traffic stop, where they found the murder weapon wrapped in Haitian flags inside his vehicle. Armor-piercing ammunition matching the bullets used in the shooting was also discovered.
During questioning, Manzie admitted that Holmes had robbed him previously but denied being the shooter. However, text messages, including one where Manzie referred to Holmes as “Brutus,” indicated an ongoing conflict between the two.
The jury deliberated for less than four hours before returning their guilty verdict. Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorney Nam Nguyen and Managing Assistant District Attorney Chris Lewis led the prosecution, with assistance from District Attorney investigator Ryan Thurmond and Victim Witness Advocate Trina Bradford.
District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson condemned the crime, stating, “Taking a life in such a premeditated and violent way is outrageous and intolerable,” and expressed condolences to the victim’s family.
The Gwinnett County Police Department played a key role in assisting with the prosecution of this case.
