Lover’s Quarrel Ends in Death and Murder Charges for Teens

murder

A harmless but annoying “prank” turned into murder and three Georgia teens are being charged for it. All police will say is that it started out as “a lover’s quarrel.” After it escalated to an “egging” things get twisted but there is no doubt Johnathan Gilbert was left dead in the middle of Dobbins Mill Road.

Murder with malice

They didn’t plan to murder 22-year-old Johnathan Gilbert, aka Tyler Lane but all three are facing what could turn out to be the death penalty for the “malice” which they displayed by egging a house. It wasn’t Gilbert’s house, he was just staying there.

Nobody knows if he is one of the lovers involved in the alleged quarrel. Nobody knows which, all or any of the the teens, two girls and a boy, might have been involved as “lovers” with whoever inspired the egging, either.

All police will explain is that female teens Sydney Maughon, 18 and McKenzie Davenport, 19 were joined by male teen Jeremy Munson, 18 in a conspiracy to commit vandalism by egging a home in the 100 block of Dobbins Mill Road. That’s in the town of Griffin, Georgia.

They pulled up to the residence on July 3 at around 4:30 p.m., armed with a dozen eggs. All three will face murder charges for what happened next. Gilbert came out of the home to confront them. They ran. They should have simply kept going but they didn’t.

The suspects ran back to the car, and as Gilbert approached them, Sydney Maughon, a back seat passenger in the car, produced a firearm and shot him multiple times,” Dix said. “The suspects then drove away leaving Gilbert dead in the middle of Dobbins Mill Road.” He may still have been breathing but they left him for dead.

Nobody called 911 until 4:45 p.m. to report “a man shot and not moving.” He was definitely dead by the time police got to the scene. All three share equal blame for the murder.

Plotted and planned together

Because the threesome of vandals “all plotted and planned together, and traveled to the location with the intent to commit a crime that led to the murder together, they are all culpable just as if they had each pulled the trigger themselves,” explains Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix.

They went to egg a house, the victim confronted them while they were doing it, he lost his life, and they drove off and left his body in the middle of the road. Together they bought that ticket; now together they can ride that ride.

Under Georgia state law, malice murder is the most serious homicide related charge which can be filed. The battery and criminal trespassing charges are nothing in comparison but were tacked on for the record.

If Sydney hadn’t been so trigger happy they could all walk away with slap on the wrist sentences. One split second bad decision ruined three young lives instantly.

It’s not clear yet if the accused have legal representation but considering the severity of the malicious murder charges they’re going to need the best they can get.

According to Sherry Smith, the chief deputy clerk for the Spalding County State and Superior Court, “they are all being held in pretrial detention. No accusation or indictment has been filed.” They might be granted bond. If convicted on the charges, “they could face life in prison or the death penalty.