Man Pleads Guilty to Various Crimes After 48 Hour Deadly Spree in Atlanta

Santavious Hurley pleaded guilty to the list of crimes he was arrested for after a 48-hour deadly crime spree in April of 2017. 

Hurley pleaded guilty to:

• Murder in Georgia
• Aggravated Assault in Georgia
• And Armed Robbery in Georgia 

According to reports, Hurley started the spree off on April 11th by approaching two individuals who were waiting for an Uber and holding them at gunpoint.

The video can be accessed here.

Hurley demanded that the two men hand over all of their belongings, fired multiple shots after they complied, and left in a stolen SUV. Two hours later, Hurley abandoned the car, and shot and killed Joseph Brown outside a motel in Decatur. 

The next day, Hurley approached a group of people with two guns and ended up fighting and shooting a fourth victim, Will Harris. He shot and badly injured him, but he was fortunately able to make a recovery after being taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Hurley got away for about a week before he was arrested. He was sentenced to life in prison this past week. 

As an Atlanta Criminal Lawyer, I will focus today's post on the law behind armed robbery in Georgia.

Armed Robbery in Georgia

The Georgia Code defines the criminal offense of armed robbery in Georgia as:

When a person with intent to commit theft, he or she takes property of another from the person or the immediate presence of another by use of an offensive weapon, or any replica, article, or device have the appearance of such weapon. O.C.G.A. §16-8-41.

Armed robbery is considered a serious violent felony in Georgia. If convicted of armed robbery, the penalty includes an automatic minimum of ten years in prison. The prison sentence can range from up to life in prison or even the death penalty.

Practice Note

As an Atlanta Criminal Attorney, I would like to reiterate that the offense of armed robbery carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The only way this can be avoided is if the offense is negotiated or defended down to a charge of robbery in Georgia. 

If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime in Georgia, contact our offices today.