Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Fatally Shooting Driver From Backseat in Macon
MACON, Ga. – A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to 45 years after admitting to fatally shooting a man in the back of the head from the backseat of the victim’s car as the victim was helping drive him home.
Deshondre Octavius Liggins pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the April 9, 2022, death of Tadarius Williams.
On July 30, 2026, Liggins was sentenced to 45 years, with 25 years to be served in prison.
According to the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, Williams had driven his girlfriend from Milledgeville to Macon after her brother, Liggins, called her in distress and asked for help.
Prosecutors said Liggins had spent the two days before the shooting experiencing paranoia and believing strangers were stalking him.
Williams and his girlfriend, who was 18 at the time, traveled to Macon to pick up Liggins and bring him back to Milledgeville. Liggins got into the backseat of Williams’ vehicle for the return trip.
At approximately 9:09 p.m., while the group was traveling near New Clinton Road and Millerfield Road, Liggins fired a handgun from the backseat, striking Williams in the back of the head.
Williams’ girlfriend attempted to take control of the vehicle after he slumped over, but the car left the roadway and overturned.
Liggins and his sister then ran into the woods, according to prosecutors. Liggins was located and taken into custody at a nearby food mart later that night. He has remained in custody since the shooting.
“Tadarius Williams got in that car to help someone,” District Attorney Anita Howard said. “He didn’t get out alive.”
Judge Denies First Offender Status
Liggins’ defense attorney asked the court to grant him First Offender status. Prosecutors opposed the request, and the judge denied it.
In addition to the prison term, Liggins’ sentence includes several long-term restrictions.
He is permanently prohibited from returning to the Macon Judicial Circuit, including traveling through the area on Interstate 75. He is also prohibited from possessing firearms, alcohol or unauthorized drugs and may have no contact with Williams’ family.
Liggins must also undergo a mental health evaluation and comply with any treatment or medication prescribed by a physician.
“This sentence holds the defendant accountable for taking a young man’s life, and the conditions attached to it are built to keep this community safe long after he leaves prison,” Howard said.
Assistant Deputy Chief Jeremy B. Johnson prosecuted the case.
