The State of Georgia announced their intent to seek the death penalty for Christopher Sumlin and Nathan Weekes for the January 2021 murder of Bobby Kicklighter.
Sumlin and Weekes entered Tattnall County Superior Court for their separate first proceedings on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. Sumlin's defense includes Jerilyn Bell of the Georgia Capital Defender's Office and Donald Doerr. Weekes is represented by Criminal Defense Attorneys Jim Berry of Atlanta and Gerald Word of Carrolton.
Their arraignment hearings, at which the prosecution announces the charges it has filed, are scheduled for Tuesday, November 8. Attorneys Sheila Ross and Joe Skeens are representing the State.
The ten charges filed against Sumlin are:
- Malice Murder
- Felony Murder
- Felony Murder
- Felony Murder
- Burglary in the first degree
- Aggravated Assault
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Possession of a firearm during commission of a felony
- Conspiracy to commit murder
- Conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (Georgia RICO Act)
Weekes was an inmate at Smith State Prison in Glennville when Kicklighter was murdered in his home. During this time, he conspired through text messages with Sumlin and two others to carry out this botched murder for hire plot.
The nine charges filed against Weekes are:
- Malice Murder
- Felony Murder
- Felony Murder
- Felony Murder
- Burglary in the first degree
- Aggravated Assault
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Conspiracy to commit murder
- Conspiracy to violate the Georgia RICO Act
Sumlin, Weekes, and two other defendants, Keisha Jones and Aerial Murphy, were indicted in April 2022 for the murder of Kicklighter, who was 88 years old. The relationship between these four individuals stems from Sumlin and Weekes, who were inmates at Smith State Prison up until Sumlin was released on parole in October 2020. Weekes recruited Jones, his girlfriend and former Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) employee, to carry out this murder with Sumlin. Murphy, who was Jones's roommate at the time, is the accused driver of Sumlin's getaway car on the night of January 30, 2021.
The Georgia RICO Act is violated if one or more of the acts that form the pattern resulted in the defendant acquiring or maintaining control of any enterprise, real property, or personal property (including money), or the defendant was employed by or associated with an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering.
Weekes, known as “Kash” or “Da President”, was the president of the Yves Saint Laurent Squad (YSL), a group with the common purpose of profiting from the smuggling of contraband into Smith State Prison and using violence to further and protect the enterprise’s activities.
These four intended to kill a correctional officer from Smith State Prison on the night of January 30, 2021. They believed Kicklighter’s house to be the home of the correctional officer, who previously lived one house down the street. This correctional officer was known for confiscating contraband at GDC facilities.
Jones was charged with nine felonies, and Murphy was charged with eight. Murphy and Jones were indicted on one count of Malice Murder, three counts of Felony Murder, one count of Burglary in the First Degree, one count of Aggravated Assault, one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Conspiracy to Commit Murder. Jones has also been charged with one count of Conspiracy to Violate the Georgia RICO Act. Jones and Murphy, like Sumlin, were charged with one count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.
