COLQUITT Co., GA (WTXL) - The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of Phirronnius Edwards for a 2011 Colquitt County murder.
According to court documents, Billy Hewitt was fatally shot in September of 2011 after Edwards and a second man, Michael Russell, made a plan to rob him.
Edwards and Russell were indicted in March of 2012 for charges of felony murder, armed robbery, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the courts.
Russell pled guilty to the armed robbery charges and then testified at Edwards' 2012 trial, saying Edwards followed Hewitt into his home while Russell waited in the car.
Russell told the courts that while Edwards was inside the home, he heard two gun shots before Edwards ran back to the car.
Edwards was sentenced to life for the murder charge plus an additional 5 years for possession of a firearm.
The case was brought to the Georgia Supreme Court; Edwards arguing that there was insufficient evidence to back up Russell's testimony.
However, judges did not agree with Edwards, saying in court documents that there was evidence other than witness testimony to support the claim.
Some of that evidence included discrepancies with cell phone records and Edwards' statements to law enforcement, surveillance footage of his vehicle near the scene, minutes before the crime, and possession of the victim's bank card.
Judges also say that Edwards had motive for the robbery; he was having financial problems.
Edwards also argued that he was denied "the effective assistance of counsel" and that the courts did not inform his lawyer about a note from the jury during his trial. However, judges did not side with Edwards on those accounts either.
