In Session: Man sentenced to life after jury finds him guilty of child molestation, incest
This column is part of a weekly round-up of notable grand jury indictments and court decisions, following through on cases reported by Savannah Morning News public safety reporter Drew Favakeh. If there are cases you're curious about, email Drew at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com.
Man found guilty of child molestation, sentenced to life
On Feb. 23, a Chatham County grand jury found Edwin Deshawn Brooks guilty of 11 charges, including three counts of aggravated child molestation, three counts of incest, three counts of aggravated sodomy and one count each of rape and child molestation. The jury found Brooks not guilty of statutory rape.
Brooks was sentenced to two life sentences for the two counts of aggravated sodomy and 30 total years, including 29 to serve and one on year probation for the incest charge.
On July 15, 2021, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Brooks. Prosecutors alleged in the indictment that Brooks engaged in sexual acts with two of his daughters, both under the age of 16 at the time.
Brooks’ attorney, Chatham County Public Defender Katie Kelly, filed a motion for a new trial, stating that Brooks should be acquitted and discharged because the state failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, the verdict is contrary to the law and contrary to the evidence, against the weight of evidence and inconsistent with the facts of the case.
A motion hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10.
Ahmad Moore jury trial continued
The jury trial scheduled on Feb. 26 for Ahmad Moore was continued because the state couldn’t locate a star witness, according to court documents. On March 9, 2021, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Moore for malice murder, two counts of felony murder, one count of criminal attempt to commit a felony, aggravated assault, and five counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
According to previous reporting by the Savannah Morning News, Savannah Police, in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) and the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, arrested a suspect in a shooting that occurred on Jan. 12, 2012. Upon arrival, officers located Darian Clark Jr., 19, with life-threatening injuries. He was transported to the hospital for treatment. On Jan. 31, 2021, Clark died of those injuries. On Feb. 4, Moore was apprehended by SERFTF in Guyton.
More: Savannah murder suspect arrested in Guyton
The state needed to continue the case because an investigator for the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office couldn’t locate a “critical witness,” according to a motion filed on Feb. 26 by ADA Tab Hunter.
The Chatham DA’s Office issued a subpoena for the witness, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office left the subpoena at the witness' residence on Feb. 13. The witness “failed or refused” to contact the state regarding the subpoena. On Feb. 23, Chatham DA Investigator Vinson Jenkins attempted to serve the witness a subpoena at his most recent residence. A relative confirmed that the witness lived at the home, but he was not there, so Jenkins handed the relative a business card with instructions for the witness to contact Jenkins and to appear in court on Feb. 26.
From Feb. 23 through Feb. 26, Moore’s attorney, Chatham Public Defender Kaitlyn Walker, filed a flurry of motions, including a motion to suppress statements, a motion to exclude jail calls and emails. On Feb. 20, Walker also filed a motion to exclude references to rap music song downloads. A Savannah Police detective seized a cellphone from Moore, and found that he downloaded The Box Freestyle (Roddy Rich Remix), and Vest Up by Fredo Bangs.
“Downloads of rap music to Mr. Moore’s phone have no probative value as they show no relationship or nexus to the crimes charged. Mere themes of violence and criminality have become so prevalent within the genre which further reduces any potential probative value, as artists are increasingly incentivized to create music referencing violence in pursuit of musical success,” Walker wrote in the motion.
“The Court has within its power the ability to exclude such evidence to ensure the jury does not become irrevocably inflamed by the themes of violence contained in the music catalog in Mr. Moore’s phone and instead focuses its attention on relevant evidence that has a true bearing on the crimes charged,” Walker added.
Jury trial has been rescheduled for June 10.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: chatham county court updates for week of March 3 2024
