FITZGERALD, Ga. — Seven people face a slew of charges in the grisly death of a forklift operator who won over $430,000 playing the Georgia lottery in 2015.
Five Georgia men – Earnest Holcomb, 27; Wayan Jordan, 17; Nathaniel Baker, 28; Anjavell Johnson, 21; and Dabrentis Overstreet, 19 – along with two women, 22-year-old Rosalyn Swain and 24-year-old Keyona Dyous, all face charges of malice murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, according to WALB.
Friends and family say Craigory Burch, Jr., 30, was targeted because he won $434,272 in late November.
The victim’s girlfriend says a shotgun blew open the door and three masked, armed men ran inside their home.
“When they came in, he said, ‘Don’t do it bro. Don’t do it in front of my kids.’ He said, ‘Please don’t do it in front of my kids and my old lady. Please don’t do that bro. Please don’t.’ He said, ‘I’ll give you my bank card,'” Jasmine Hendricks told WALB.
Hendricks said she is certain the suspects were after some of the money he won.
"Ever since he hit the lottery we kept getting calls, text messages, all that, saying, 'Be careful because people are out for him to rob him," Hendricks said.
Hendricks said during the home invasion, Burch threw his pants at the suspects.
After realizing Burch's wallet was not in the pants, the suspects shot and killed him seconds before fleeing the home.
The victim's mother wants justice for those responsible in the killing.
"I want them to know what they took from me. They took a part of my life away from me. My child that I carried and raised for 20 years," Leslie Collins said.
