February 14th, 2023 – 3:45 PM
Paulding District Attorney’s Office –
Last week a Paulding County jury convicted Justin Sims of multiple counts of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, and firearms charges in the shooting deaths of Clinton Aiola, Cody Fuller, and Devaunte Ramsay.
Paulding County Sheriff’s Office investigated the triple homicide that occurred on March 21, 2022, in a home off of Chesapeake Way in Rockmart.
The investigation revealed that Sims and Carlos Favors-Battle entered the residence armed with handguns and attempted to rob the three victims in a basement room. Sims and Favors-Battle shot and killed all three victims before fleeing.
Favors-Battle was identified and apprehended just days after the homicide. Through the tireless efforts of investigators, Sims was apprehended as the other shooter on April 6, 2022.
Judge T. David Lyles presided over the trial and sentenced Sims to three consecutive sentences of life without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 10 years for the firearms offense.
“Three families lost their fathers, brothers, and sons over greed. The impact of that night will be felt forever in the hearts of the families. Hopefully, the verdict and sentence gives them some peace and shows that senseless violence will not go unpunished,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Theresa Schiefer, who prosecuted the case with ADA Michaela Devine.
On the morning his trial was set to begin, Carlos Favors-Battle pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and was sentenced to three life sentences.