August 19, 2020–9:56 a.m.
NEWS RELEASE
Michael Sean Conner has been sentenced for a violent carjacking he attempted in Adairsville, Georgia, during which he shot a young man asleep in his truck. Conner will serve this sentence consecutively to a seven-year sentence for a previous carjacking conviction in Tennessee, for a total sentence of 35 years of confinement.
“Conner’s senseless and depraved act left a young man paralyzed from the chest down,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “His callous disregard for the lives of others justifies the very lengthy prison sentence he received in this case. Our office is grateful for the careful coordination of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners whose collaboration ensured the success of this prosecution.”
“Mr. Conner’s sentence can never fully account for the suffering he inflicted on his victims,” said Arthur Peralta, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Atlanta. “In this case, the combined efforts of the Adairsville Police Department, the GBI, the ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked to ensure that Mr. Conner will not have an opportunity to hurt anyone else for a very long time.”
“This sentence is the result of an effective partnership between our local and federal agencies. The GBI is dedicated to thoroughly investigating violent offenses leading to successful prosecutions to keep the streets safe from offenders such as Conner,” said Vic Reynolds, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
“It is unfortunate that this heinous act occurred in the city of Adairsville. As the Chief, I am thankful for the resources provided to us by the GBI, ATF, and U.S. Attorney’s Office to assist in the investigation and prosecute this case to ensure justice was served for the victim,” said Adairsville Chief of Police Mike Jones.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: On May 7, 2018, the victim in this case, a young man unknown to Conner, was driving home to Florida after attending a wedding in Tennessee. He had stopped to nap at a gas station in Adairsville. Conner and two women, Kristy Lynn Davis and Destany Schubert, pulled beside the victim in a second vehicle. Conner tapped on the window of the victim’s truck, pointed a gun at the young man, and demanded that he give up his truck. Conner then shot the victim in the chest as he tried to roll up his window and back away from Conner, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.
Conner and his female passengers were charged for the crime following Conner’s arrest for committing another armed carjacking in Tennessee within hours of the offense in Georgia.
Michael Sean Conner, 28, of Hixon, Tennessee, was sentenced to 28 years of confinement to be followed by three years of supervised release. The federal sentence will run consecutively to the seven years he is serving in Tennessee for another carjacking. Conner had previously pleaded guilty to the carjacking offense in Tennessee and received a sentence of seven years of confinement. The Georgia sentence will run consecutive to his Tennessee sentence, resulting in a total custodial sentence of 35 years of confinement.
Kristy Lynn Davis, 38, of Summerville, Georgia, who pleaded guilty to acting as Conner’s accessory, was sentenced to on August 13, 2020, to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Destany Schubert, 22, of Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, who also pleaded guilty to acting as Conner’s accessory, received a sentence on June 19, 2020, of one year, six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Adairsville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Hoffer prosecuted the case.