Bradley Coleman murder retrial timeline: Trio found guilty on all counts

Bradley Coleman murder retrial: Guilty on all counts

The jury has reached a verdict in the Gwinnett County retrial for the murder of Bradley Coleman. All three defendants, David Jarrad Booker, Josiah Hughley and Miles Collins, were found guilty on all counts.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Kevyn Stewart has been closely following the Gwinnett County retrial in the murder of a 29-year-old father who was visiting from New Orleans.

Here's a look back at the original trial and a timeline recapping the daily events of the 2025 trial:

The Backstory | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Closing Arguments Underway | Jury Deliberations | Jury Delivers Verdict | Sentencing

Murder of Bradley Coleman

The backstory:

On Sunday, July 10, 2022, just after noon, Bradley Coleman pulled up to the QuikTrip at the intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Peachtree Corner Circle to use the air pump. That is when a black passenger vehicle pulled up next to him.

Gwinnett County Police say one of the people in that vehicle got into Coleman's car. He was attacked and killed.

From left, David Jarrad Booker, Josiah Hughley and Miles Collins charged with aggravated assault and the murder of Bradley Coleman at a Peachtree Corners gas station.

Three people were arrested: David Booker, Josiah Hughley, and Miles Collins. Prosecutors believe Hughley was the shooter, Booker was his armed support, and Collins was the getaway driver. They say all three men are members of the Nine Trey Bloods, a violent gang known for stealing cars.

Coleman, who is a graduate of Norcross High School but lived in New Orleans, was visiting family in town. He left behind a young daughter.

Image 1 of 9

▼

Bradley Coleman (Family photo)

The three men accused in his murder stood trial in October of last year, but on the third day of testimony, the judge declared a mistrial over "improper and prejudicial" comments made by the state.

Attorneys for the defendants attempted to block a retrial, but the judge allowed the case to proceed in January 2025.

Bradley Coleman murder retrial Day 1: Testimony begins

Testimony begins in gas station murder trial

Testimony has started in the murder trial of three men accused of shooting and killing a man from New Orleans visiting his mother in 2022. Coach Bradley Coleman was killed during an attempted carjacking in Peachtree Corners after stopping at a gas station.

What they're saying:

The first day of testimony began at the Gwinnett County Courthouse on Jan. 15, 2025.

The first person to testify was Bradley Coleman's mother. She explained to the court that her 29-year-old son, who lived in New Orleans, had specifically traveled to Georgia with his daughter to see his parents.

Two eyewitnesses to the murder also testified Wednesday. They said there was a scuffle among a group of men at the QT gas station, and then they heard a gunshot.

"I heard, from behind me, the sound of screeching tires and a collision," Andrea Page Smith. "I saw men struggling near a parked car. I saw one man pull another man out of the car.

Jurors watched surveillance video of the incident, as Smith testified to what she heard and saw.

"While I was behind my car, I heard a gunshot go off," Smith said. "The poor man who had been killed was lying there on the ground."

A second witness, Owen Waites, called 911 after seeing the crime.

"I saw Mr. Coleman fall," recalled Waites. "And a black vehicle."

On cross-examination, Smith admitted she did not see a gun or who fired it.

Bradley Coleman murder retrial Day 2: DNA evidence introduced

Bradley Coleman murder: Day 2 of retrial

Putting the suspects at the scene of the crime. That has been the focus of day two of testimony in the murder trial of three men accused of killing a New Orleans man in attempted carjacking in Peachtree Corners.

What they're saying:

During the second day of testimony, a forensic biologist told jurors she tested a mask discovered at the Peachtree Corner crime scene and found DNA linked to the suspected shooter, Josiah Hughley.

An investigator with the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office revealed to jurors seized cell phones belonging to the suspects that tied them to the general location of the crime scene.

While Josiah Hughley is described by prosecutors as the gunman, David Booker is depicted as the armed support and Miles Collins is the accused getaway driver.

Bradley Coleman murder retrial Day 3: Girlfriend admits to changing testimony

Bradley Coleman murder retrial Day 3: Girlfriend testifies

Testimony has wrapped up for the week in the retrial of three suspected gang members accused of murder during a carjacking. The murder happened back in 2022 at a Peachtree Corner gas station.

What they're saying:

The girlfriend of the alleged getaway driver took center stage on the third day of testimony.

Jermiya Pledger, who has a child with Miles Collins, told jurors she gave money to Collins to rent a car. Prosecutors say that car would end up being the getaway vehicle used in the fatal, botched carjacking that killed Bradley Coleman.

In a tense exchange with a prosecutor during re-direct testimony, Pledger admitted she testified differently in the first trial. On Friday, she told jurors she had picked up her boyfriend the day of the crime by himself.

In her sworn 2023 testimony, she said Collins was with Hughley. Prosecutors allege Hughley shot and killed Coleman after a struggle.

Prosecutors also unveiled evidence tracking the criminal history of each of the defendants. Each of the suspects had previous arrests and convictions for car-related crimes.

Bradley Coleman murder retrial: Closing Arguments

What we know:

Closing arguments have taken place in Gwinnett County in a high-profile murder trial involving three alleged gang members from DeKalb County accused in a 2022 shooting at a Peachtree Corners gas station.

The trial has been focused on Josiah Hughley, the alleged shooter; Miles Collins, the accused getaway driver; and David Booker, described as armed support. Prosecutors alleged the defendants were responsible for the fatal shooting.

Delays marked the start of the proceedings on Monday morning as the court addressed housekeeping matters, including replacing a juror with an alternate. Once resolved, the defense presented its closing arguments.

David Booker's attorney argued that while his client may not have a spotless character, it does not mean he is guilty of the charges or affiliated with a gang. "The state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty of what they claim," the defense stated.

Meanwhile, Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorney John Melvin told jurors the men came to the gas station prepared to kill.

Once again, an interrogation tape of Hughley was played for jurors. He admitted to shooting Coleman, but claimed it was in self-defense after Coleman hit him first.

Bradley Coleman murder retrial: Jury begins deliberations

Jury deliberating in Bradley Coleman murder

It's up to the jury to decide the fate of three alleged gang members charged with the murder of Bradley Coleman during a botched carjacking in Gwinnett County nearly three years ago.

The jury has reached a verdict in the murder trial of Josiah Hughley, Miles Collins, and David Booker, accused of killing Bradley Coleman in 2022 at a Kwik Trip gas station while Coleman was filling his tires with air.

The jury began deliberating on Tuesday, breaking for a lunch break and resuming at 1:30 p.m.

While deliberating, the jurors requested clarification on an aggravated assault charge and reviewed slow-motion surveillance footage from the crime scene.

This is the second trial for the defendants; the first ended in a mistrial due to a prosecution error.

Bradley Coleman murder retrial: Jury delivers verdict

David Booker verdict (by count)

Felony murder - Guilty
Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act - Guilty
Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act - Guilty
Aggravated Assault - Guilty
Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act - Guilty
Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act - Guilty
Felony murder - Guilty
Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act - Guilty
Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act - Guilty
Hijacking a motor vehicle - Guilty
Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act - Guilty
Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act - Guilty
Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony - Guilty
Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act - Guilty
Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act - Guilty

Sentence: Life without the possibility of parole

Bradley Coleman murder retrial: David Booker sentencing

David Booker, believed to be Josiah Hughley's armed support, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in the murder of Bradley Coleman.