Two Men Convicted in Murder of Transgender Woman in DeKalb County; One Defendant Now a Fugitive

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the conviction of two men for the murder of Skyler Gilmore (legal name Chase Gilmore), a 25-year-old transgender woman who was shot and killed in her Stone Mountain apartment on June 4, 2021. After a jury trial on October 4, 2024, JaQuan Brooks, 25, and Davonte Fore, 26, were found guilty of Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony.

The incident occurred at an apartment complex in the 1400 block of South Hairston Road. According to the investigation, officers with the DeKalb County Police Department (DKPD) responded to a report of a person shot just before 2 a.m. When officers arrived, they found Gilmore unresponsive in her bedroom with a gunshot wound to the torso. Despite efforts, she did not survive her injuries.

A friend of Gilmore who was on the phone with her just before the shooting reported to investigators that Gilmore mentioned needing to hang up to answer a call from the front gate of the apartment complex. Shortly after, Gilmore called her friend back and said she had been shot. The friend rushed to the apartment to try to assist Gilmore and called 911.

Investigators used cell phone data to identify a phone number that had communicated with Gilmore multiple times leading up to the shooting. The data revealed that Gilmore had sent the gate code to this number shortly before the incident. Detectives linked the phone number to Defendant Davonte Fore. Surveillance footage from the apartment complex showed two men in a white Nissan Rogue entering through the gate at 1:39 a.m. The driver, clearly identified in the footage, was Defendant JaQuan Brooks, while the passenger was identified as Fore.

During the investigation, detectives learned that both Brooks and Fore were members of a local gang. The gang had allegedly ordered the murder of Gilmore after learning she was involved in a relationship with another gang member.

Brooks was taken into custody immediately following the guilty verdict. Fore, who was arrested in November 2022 but had been released on bond in February 2024 pending trial, attended the beginning of the trial but failed to return to court. He is now considered a fugitive from justice. DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Nora Polk, who presided over the trial, revoked Fore’s bond and issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Authorities are asking anyone with information on Fore’s whereabouts to contact the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit at 404-298-8132.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Friedman with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Kelsey Devitto. The investigation was led by DKPD Detective Redrick, with additional support from District Attorney Investigators Curtis Averhart, A. Zachary, and Christopher Usiak, and Victim Advocate Millicent Taylor. Sentencing for Brooks and Fore will be scheduled in the coming weeks.