ROME, GA – Desmond Lavonta Brown, 28, was convicted for the murder of his half-sisters, Vanita Richardson, 18, and Truvenia Campbell, 30, following a tragic misunderstanding over a missing wallet. Brown, who believed the sisters stole his wallet during his birthday party, learned after the crime that his mother had found the wallet at home. The jury in Alabama, where the murders occurred, delivered a guilty verdict after less than an hour of deliberation.
The incident unfolded on May 12, 2020, when Brown, believing the sisters had taken his wallet, shot them during a planned drug deal. Testimony revealed that Christopher Pullen, 26, and Devin Watts, 40, Brown’s co-defendants, had lured the sisters under the pretext of a drug transaction. Pullen testified that Brown shot Campbell three times after interrogating her and Richardson about his wallet. The exact circumstances of Richardson’s death remain unclear.
The victims’ bodies, with bags over their heads, were found dumped off a bridge over the Etowah River in Rome, discovered by bridge inspectors. The tragic outcome and swift verdict highlight the severe consequences of miscommunication and violence. Brown now faces a life sentence without parole.