18-03-2025
After five and a half years, man accused of 2019 Circle K murder goes to trial
COLUMBUS, Ga. () — A high-profile 2019 murder case finally reached a Muscogee County Courtroom nearly six years after an East Columbus Circle K clerk was shot to death.
Daequavian Soloman, 31, is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted in the September 2019 shooting.
On Monday, Chief Superior Court Judge Art Smith dealt with pretrial motions in advance of jury selection.
Prosecutors, led by Chief Assistant District Attorney Wesley Lambertus, call this an execution and plan to introduce graphic video evidence. Defense attorney William Kendrick says his client did not kill Dontrell Williams.
The video at the core of the state's case is Circle K surveillance footage shot the night of the murder, showing a masked man entering the store. The video was released to the public, and authorities say it led to Solomon's arrest.
Much of the morning was spent arguing over the admissibility of a police videotaped conversation with the defendant the day after the murder.
Solomon drove to the Public Safety Center after a Columbus Police detective contacted him. He talked to the police for almost an hour, was never arrested, and was allowed to leave.
Defense attorney William Kendrick contends that even though his client was not handcuffed or restrained, he should have been read his Miranda rights — which he wasn't.
Police say that Solomon was simply a person of interest at that time. Police were interested in talking to Solomon, who lived about 200 yards from the murder scene.
Judge Art Smith decided he would allow the jury to hear the videotape when testimony begins later this week.
Here's what the jury may hear from Solomon's police interview:
'But when I came here, I was trying to tell them, like, you know. I don't know why the police needed to surround my house, you know. The streets talk – you see what I mean – the streets talk. As soon as I got word, I just wanted to come down here and see what was going on.'
Solomon was speaking to Columbus Police Sgt. Robbie Nicholas.
After the morning hearings, the trial moved from the Government Center to the Comer building for jury selection, which will likely continue into tomorrow.
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