Bibb County Jury Convicts Man for 2021 Eisenhower Parkway Shooting in Mistaken-Identity Killing

MACON, Ga. – A Bibb County jury has convicted Quteavis Quayshon Simmons of malice murder in the 2021 shooting death of Harriett Patrick, an innocent bystander who was killed while driving home from a birthday party.

After a week-long trial, jurors found Simmons guilty in the October 10, 2021, shooting on Eisenhower Parkway. Prosecutors said Simmons, who was 30 at the time, fired three shots into Patrick’s vehicle after mistakenly believing the driver was his former girlfriend’s new partner. One bullet struck Patrick in the abdomen.

Patrick, a wife, mother, U.S. military veteran, and breast cancer survivor, managed to call her husband and son for help and drove herself home to meet emergency responders. She died from her injuries 10 days later.

District Attorney R. Howard said Patrick was an unintended victim of a violent act fueled by mistaken identity. During the investigation, Patrick told first responders that she did not know who shot her. No murder weapon was ever recovered.

The case presented significant challenges for prosecutors. Two key witnesses were initially uncooperative, requiring the State to seek court intervention in Tennessee and Chicago, Illinois, to compel their testimony and ensure their appearance in Macon.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Aaron Palmer and Assistant District Attorney Amber Cook led the prosecution, presenting evidence that identified Simmons as the shooter despite the lack of a recovered firearm.

Prosecutors requested a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, citing the malicious and calculated nature of the crime. The trial court ultimately sentenced Simmons to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The conviction closes a case that has remained unresolved for more than three years and brings a measure of accountability in the killing of Patrick, who was returning home when she was fatally shot.