Augusta DA: Suspect in death of 8-year-old girl could not be prosecuted on 2019 charges

Jozsef Papp, Augusta Chronicle
·3 min read
Eight-year-old Arbrie Anthony was shot and killed while playing outside her home on Third Avenue the night of Jan. 8, 2022.
Eight-year-old Arbrie Anthony was shot and killed while playing outside her home on Third Avenue the night of Jan. 8, 2022.

Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jared Williams explained Wednesday that his office could not have prosecuted Antoine Redfield for murder in a 2019 fatal shooting..

"This was not a judgment call," Williams said.

Redfield, 21, is being charged with murder in the Jan. 8 death of 8-year-old Arbrie Anthony in a drive-by shooting outside her home on Third Avenue.

Redfield was involved in a fatal shooting outside Private I club on Thomas Lane on Dec. 7, 2019.

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Charles Lawson III, 28, and Ja Brie Dominguez, 23, died from gunshot wounds during that shooting. Charges filed against Redfield and another man were not prosecuted.

In a release, Williams stated the realities of the case forced the state to dismiss the charges against Redfield and the second man.

"This was not a choice. This was a requirement by law," Williams said.

Williams said when he took office in 2021 and began to review the file to prepare it for trial, multiple memos were discovered from 2020 noting the case was likely unprovable from the beginning, given Georgia is a "Stand Your Ground" state, which requires prosecutors to disprove claims of self-defense and defense of others.

Williams said the DA's office worked on the case for two years, one under the previous administration, to strengthen the case and overcome its problems. The shooting was described as a "chaotic gunfight at a nightclub between four gang members."

Williams said in the release that the lead investigator could not determine who shot first and neither witness testimony nor physical and ballistic evidence could prove it either. No firearms were recovered and no video of the incident showed who shot first.

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Williams said the state could not prove the shooting was not self defense or defense of others.

"It became clear that despite our best efforts, the State could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Redfield shot for any reason other than to save his own life or his friend’s life. The probable cause standard required for arrest warrants is much lower than the standard the State is held to at trial," Williams said in the release.

Art Anthony and his daughter, Arbrie, outside their home on Third Avenue. Arbrie was shot and killed while playing in her yard the night of Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, in a drive-by shooting.
Art Anthony and his daughter, Arbrie, outside their home on Third Avenue. Arbrie was shot and killed while playing in her yard the night of Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, in a drive-by shooting.

Williams also offered his condolences to the Anthony family and said his office "stands ready to prosecute violent criminals to the fullest extent of the law."

The release was sent to media outlets about an hour before Anthony's funeral was set to take place at Hillcrest Memorial Park.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Suspect in death of Augusta girl could not be prosecuted on 2019 charges