Covington man convicted in 2021 fatal dating app robbery
MARK ANTONIO WHITE
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A Covington man was convicted on Friday for orchestrating a deadly robbery that resulted in the shooting death of a Sandy Springs man after arranging a meeting through an online dating site.
Mark Antonio White, 23, was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the October 2021 killing of Garcia Danielle Gaddis, 39. White was sentenced to life in prison plus five years without the possibility of parole.
"This verdict brings a measure of justice, and we hope it offers solace to the victim’s family and loved ones," stated Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. "The defendant took advantage of Mr. Gaddis, and justice has been served."
Gaddis was last seen leaving his home on October 21, 2021. Days later, police responding to a noise complaint on October 24 discovered Gaddis’ body in a Dodge Ram 1500 truck parked in a Lawrenceville neighborhood near Pierce Brennen Drive and Tech Center Parkway. He had been shot once in the head, and his cell phone, wallet, and car keys were missing.
Investigators traced Gaddis’ final moments to a conversation he had on the Tagged dating app with a user identified as White. The chat culminated in an agreement to meet in the Little Suwanee Pointe neighborhood, where surveillance footage captured Gaddis’ truck arriving around 11 p.m. that night. Video footage showed Gaddis picking up a Black man with shoulder-length dreadlocks near the neighborhood pool area. Minutes later, the truck was seen exiting toward Tech Center Parkway, and the same man was captured on video walking back to the pool clubhouse.
A breakthrough in the investigation came when a shell casing found in Gaddis’ truck was linked to casings from a July 2021 incident in which White allegedly fired at his ex-girlfriend and her mother. The mother had kept the shell casings, which later matched the one found in Gaddis’ vehicle. Additionally, police bodycam footage from a subsequent eviction at a townhome across from the pool showed a man inside the unit matching the description of the figure seen in the neighborhood surveillance video.
An arrest warrant was issued for White, and he was apprehended in June 2022.
The case was prosecuted by Gwinnett Managing Assistant District Attorney Michele Sims and Assistant District Attorney Diamond Johnson, with support from DA’s Investigator Christina Newman and Victim Witness Advocate Karen McKinlay. Sgt. Jorstad of the Gwinnett County Police Department was recognized for his role in advancing the investigation.