| August 14, 2023, Johniya Chappell, now 20 years old, has been sentenced to 50 years with the first 25 years in prison for the shooting death of Johntaves Coleman on the evening of January 30, 2020, at his home in Macon. Chappell pled Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter and to Aggravated Assault on August 14, 2023.
Coleman was at home with three of his friends watching a basketball game on television. At about 7:30 p.m., Coleman answered a knock at his door. His friends then heard a single gunshot. Coleman ran back into the house and collapsed. None of Coleman’s friends saw the shooter. Johntaves Coleman died from a single gunshot wound to the chest shortly afterwards. A witness in the neighborhood was able to identify a specific vehicle that was in the area at the time of the shooting. Surveillance from a store nearby also caught the same vehicle on video as well as four people who got in and out of the vehicle around the time of the homicide. Three days after the murder, Chappell, then 17 years old, came forward and confessed her involvement in the homicide. She also identified her co-defendants for police She admitted that she shot the victim in a botched armed robbery attempt that she and her co-defendants planned. Chappell claimed when the victim answered the door, she got scared and just shot him. Chappell immediately fled the scene after the shooting. Adding to the tragedy, Coleman was acquainted with Chappell and her family, and he had allowed her to stay in his home when she needed assistance. After an incident when Coleman discovered Chappel was stealing from him, he asked her to leave his home and yet continued to assist her with school supplies and money. “This is a tragic case all around,” said Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney Anita Howard. “This teenager chose crime and violence and targeted someone who was working hard to help her. This is a perfect example of why my Office is so dedicated to engaging young people with our Initiatives that provide support and services to assist them in staying out of the criminal justice system and making choices that help them advance their lives in productive ways.” The Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office particularly thanks the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office for its help with the investigation and prosecution of this case. Chappel’s co-defendants will be slated for trials at a later date. |
