Georgia man gets life for killing upstairs neighbor over bike dispute

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. (TCD) -- A 53-year-old man has been convicted in the 2020 fatal shooting death of his neighbor over a bike dispute and spying allegations.

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced Wednesday, April 24, that a jury found Alphonso Watts guilty of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the death of 35-year-old Darryl Halden, who lived in the apartment above him. A judge subsequently sentenced Watts to life in prison with an additional 15 years.

According to prosecutors, on Aug. 16, 2020, at approximately 7:40 p.m., the DeKalb County Police Department responded to an apartment complex on Friendly Heights Boulevard, where they found Halden unresponsive near a dumpster. Halden had sustained gunshot wounds, and paramedics transported him to a hospital, where he died.

The district attorney's office said investigators obtained surveillance footage showing Watts leaving the complex at around 7:31 p.m. and then Halden exiting seconds later with two trash bags. Officials did not see Halden on camera again. However, at approximately 7:33 p.m., the footage shows Watts leaving the dumpster area.

According to the district attorney's office, residents of the building told investigators that "Watts had been involved in a dispute" with Halden because the victim had reportedly "stored his bicycle in the hallway of the building." Additionally, Watts "believed Halden was spying on him through his smoke detector."

Prosecutors said Watts later admitted to detectives that he "believed someone had been watching him through the smoke detectors in his ceiling."

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