DA BRODER ANNOUNCES MURDER CONVICTION

 From Marie Broder, District Attorney On Monday, May 24, 2022, a Spalding County jury convicted Donald Eugene Colquitt, a 57-year-old male from Griffin, of Felony Murder, Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Theft by Taking. I along with my Assistant District Attorney Holly MacDonald tried the case. The Honorable Scott L. Ballard sentenced the defendant to Life in Prison Without the Possibility of Parole on the Murder charge, 20 years for the Armed Robbery, and 5 years for the gun charge. Donald Colquitt shot Munteshia Brown in the chest in the parking lot of Macedonia Baptist Church on July 11, 2020. After shooting her, he stole her car, phone, purse, and identification and fled the scene. He was caught in Mississippi. Colquitt and Brown had a lengthy history of domestic violence, including a particularly brutal incident in September of 2019 when Colquitt stabbed Brown in a Henry County hotel room, placed a mattress over her, and left her to die. In that incident, he also stole her car, her purse, her phone, and her identification. She lived, only to be killed by him in Spalding County seven months later. The defendant testified and claimed that he shot the victim in self-defense. The jury rejected this argument with its verdict. The jury heard testimony over the course of five days. My team brought in witnesses from five different law enforcement departments across three states to testify in this trial. My heartfelt thanks go out to all of the witnesses who testified, and I offer my specific thanks to the lead agency in the case – the Spalding County Sheriff's Office. This case is tragic. Munteshia was on a path to redemption, changing her life, and severing ties with the defendant. She was a bright life who was so loved by her family. Because of her devotion to changing her life for the better, the defendant executed her in a church parking lot. Over the course of my career, I have tried too many cases where victims were murdered at hand of their abusers.I take these cases personally. I am tired of these violent deaths, and so are the citizens of Spalding County. Allow this verdict and sentence to be a message to those perpetrating domestic violence in my Circuit. I will use whatever resources necessary to ensure that you pay for your crimes. If you or someone you know is suffering in a domestic violence relationship, please seek help. It could literally save a life.