Teen Helped Homicide Soccer Teammate, Performed Championship Recreation in His Honor: Police

Now, one-and-a-half years later, a second teen has been arrested and charged together with his homicide, this one a teammate who performed within the slain teen’s honor simply days after he helped to kill him, in keeping with authorities.

In an up to date press launch on Could 1, 2025 from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, they introduced the arrest of Manchester Excessive Faculty scholar Qua’vion Jakwon Cooper, 17, with the help of the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Workplace, “as a celebration to the crime for his function within the capturing demise of Manchester Excessive Faculty scholar Brandon Smith, age 17” (pictured above).

The discharge states that by the course of the continuing investigation, “it was decided that Cooper aided and abetted A’darious Williams, who shot and killed Smith on December 7, 2023, following an argument in Manchester, Georgia.” Cooper has been booked in Meriwether County Jail and denied bond.

Williams was initially arrested and charged at age 19 again on January 9, 2024, for allegedly capturing and killing Smith on December 7, 2023. He’s at the moment dealing with a homicide cost, in keeping with The Atlanta Journal-Structure.

Particulars of Cooper’s involvement in Smith’s homicide usually are not clear because the Meriwether County Justice of the Peace Court docket and sheriff’s workplace declined to offer the Journal-Structure a replica of his arrest warrant.

In response to the GBI report, Smith was final seen on that day. On December 10, 2023, the Manchester Police Division acquired a report of a useless physique in a wooded space behind a house. That physique was decided to be Smith, with proof that he had been killed.

The sufferer’s grandmother, Maxine Smith, who’d raised her grandson since he was an toddler, informed The New York Publish on the time that she sensed one thing was occurring with him. “The best way he checked out me, like he wished to inform me one thing he couldn’t,” she stated on the time.

She reported him lacking on December 9 when she couldn’t attain him after repeated makes an attempt. The following day, his soccer coach informed her that her grandson’s physique had been discovered, per WXIA.

The invention got here on the eve of what would have been the largest soccer sport in Smith’s highschool profession, because the workforce had made it to the state title championship sport. His teammates, together with Cooper, would go on to play that sport in his honor, in keeping with ABC affiliate WXIA on the time.

In response to the outlet, workforce captains solemnly held Smith’s jersey, strolling it to the 50-yard line as a robust image of remembrance. Cooper would go on to attain a landing and lead his workforce in tackles and dashing yards, in keeping with Georgia Public Broadcast, which coated the sport.

Manchester Excessive Faculty in the end misplaced by one level, falling 28-27 as Bowdon picked up its second consecutive Class A Division II state championship.

In a press release to WSB-TV on Monday, the Meriwether County Faculty District stated, “We’re conscious of the 2 arrests in reference to the tragic demise of Brandon Smith in 2023. It is a deeply tough second for a lot of in our group, and our hearts stay with Brandon’s household, buddies, and teammates as they proceed to grieve this loss.”

“He by no means gave us issues,” Smith’s grandfather informed WTVM. “He is at all times been good, ever since he was a lil’ bitty toddler … And I simply hate someone shortened his desires like that.”