Two Rossville Murder Suspects Convicted
The two suspects convicted of the felony murder of Dakota Bradshaw.
LAFAYETTE, Ga. (WDEF)- Two defendants in a felony murder case in Walker County have been convicted.
On August 1, 2022, Dakota Bradshaw was standing in front of a window at his home on East Peachtree Street in Rossville when he was fatally shot.
Bradshaw was only 29 years old.
This murder sparked a multi-state manhunt across Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee.
It eventually led to the arrests of four individuals.
Today, the GBI announced that two of the four suspects, Kavon Collier and Eric Dodds of Huntsville, were convicted last week by a jury in Walker County of Felony Murder.
They are facing life in prison, potentially without parole.
Their first sentencing hearing is later this month.
Officials said that another suspect, Dajah Collins, pled guilty Tuesday morning and is awaiting sentencing.
The last suspect, Darius Woods, who was also wanted for another homicide near Clarksville, is still going through his trial.
The District Attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial District, Clay Fuller, said, “If you are a violent criminal and you come into our community, this team, when you hurt somebody in our community, this team behind me, we are going to do everything that we can to ensure justice is done.”
The GBI detailed the complexity of the prosecution of this case across multiple state lines.
Over 70 search warrants were executed throughout the course on the suspect’s phones, social media accounts, and other property.
The Special Agent in Charge for the GBI’s Calhoun office, Joe Montgomery, said. “If you think about how much stuff your phone has, think about looking through 10, 15, 20 phones. 30 or 40 social media sites.”
Special Agent Montgomery said that evidence presented in trial from these accounts connected the suspects to the crime scene.
District Attorney Fuller in the case says he wants the community to remember the victim.
He said, “He (Dakota Bradshaw) was known for always having a smile on his face. He graduated near the top of his class in high school and was hoping to pursue a career in cybersecurity. He was a son, a brother, and by all accounts an amazing friend.”
