ROME, Ga. - Four men have been indicted on murder charges in connection with the shooting death of a former star football player from Rome High School. Three of the men are in custody at the Floyd County Jail while authorities are still searching for the fourth suspect.
The indictment came a little over a year after 21-year-old Derricus Smith was gunned down. Smith’s loved ones told FOX 5 the arrests came with mixed emotions.
"The biggest thing I sit back and think about every day is like, ‘Why my brother?’" LaTerica Finley told FOX 5.
For nearly a year-and-a-half, Finley has been anxiously awaiting answers in her baby brother’s murder. Much of that time, she said she’s spent in therapy and church.
"My whole world crashed down," she recalled.
Smith, a former star player on Rome High School’s football team, was shot and killed last May after an argument at a gathering on Perkins Street turned physical and someone opened fire. On August 4, the answers his loved ones were hoping for finally came.
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3 arrested, 1 at-large for murder of football player
In Floyd County, four men have been indicted on murder charges in connection with the shooting death of a former star athlete at Rome High School. While authorities say one of those men is still on the run, family members of Derricus Smith say they’re breathing a little easier.
Marquivias Nicholson, Justin Glynn, Malachi Williams, and Corey Chatman Jr. were all charged with felony murder, violation of the gang act, aggravated assault, battery, and simple battery.
"We got some answers and know who the people is…I thought it would give me relief, but it actually had stressed me out even more," Finley explained. "It’s like hard to process."
Finley told FOX 5 hearing Glynn’s name and seeing he had an additional charge of malice murder was the hardest part to come to terms with for her family, who watched him grow up.
"His charges were different letting us know he was the shooter…my momma just broke down crying ‘cause she was like, ‘This is my best friend’s grandson,’" she recalled.
While Finley said there was some peace in knowing three of her brother’s killers have been caught, she said she knows there’s still a long road ahead to getting justice.
She told FOX 5 she hopes to use her own mental health journey to promote peace within the community.
"Problems don’t have to be handled with violence, learn how to process trauma and stuff to that nature so we can maybe help the crime rates," she said.
Marquivias Nicholson is still at large. If you have any information about where he might be, give the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office or the GBI a call.