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Gang member convicted of killing trans woman in Stone Mountain on the run

By and FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  October 15, 2024 6:05pm EDT
DeKalb County
FOX 5 Atlanta

Convicted killer of trans woman on the run

Davonte Fore, a 26-year-old convicted killer, is reportedly on the run after jumping bail in the middle of his trial. Fore was found guilty in the 2021 killing of Skylar Gilmore, a transgender woman.

The Brief

    • Davonte Fore, a convicted killer, is on the run after jumping bail during his trial; his accomplice Jaquan Brooks is already in custody.
    • Both Fore and Brooks were found guilty of murdering Skyler Gilmore, a transgender woman, in 2021.
    • Despite objections from the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, Fore was released on bond, but he fled in the middle of his trial.
    • Investigators used phone data and surveillance footage to link Fore and Brooks to the murder, which was allegedly ordered by a local gang.
    • Skyler's father, Chauncey Gilmore, hopes for a swift arrest, while authorities caution the public against approaching Fore as he may be desperate to avoid capture.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - The hunt is now on to find a convicted killer who is on the run after prosecutors say he jumped bail during his trial. 

Twenty-six-year-old Davonte Fore and 25-year-old Jaquan Brooks were found guilty earlier this month of murdering Skyler Gilmore, a transgender woman, back in 2021. Brooks is in custody, but Fore is not. 

"I'm hoping he’s caught because this is a bad guy," said Chauncey Gilmore, Skyler’s father. 

Davonte Fore

Skyler’s dad is thankful for the verdict. 

"I have peace and I'll have much more of that when they catch this guy too," he said. 

The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office says Fore was released on bond in February by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Nora Polk despite their objections. Prosecutors say Fore took off in the middle of his trial, but earlier this month a jury still found him and his partner guilty. 

"This is why our office works hard to get bonds denied in cases like this, but it's not our decision to grant bond," said Jacques Spencer, Supervising Investigator in the Homicide and Gangs Unit at the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. 

Investigators say Skyler, whose legal name was Chase Gilmore, was shot and killed in her Stone Mountain apartment. 

Detectives used phone data and surveillance video to link Fore and Brooks to the crime. Prosecutors say the two were members of a local gang which ordered them to murder her after it was discovered she was sleeping with another member of the gang. 

Skyler Gilmore

"Our focus is getting him in custody, we feel that he's a danger to society and also the victim's family deserves to be able to face him in court when he is sentenced for what he did," Spencer said. 

Skyler's dad is hopeful an arrest comes soon, so the two can be sentenced in the coming weeks. 

"Personally, I don't think that he's supposed to have been out on a $25,000 bond on a murder case, but he was, and I understand that, but I'm hoping that the people get him, and they get him fast," Chauncey said. 

Fore was found guilty of malice murder and other charges, so he faces the rest of his life in prison. 

Prosecutors say he has ties to California. 

Investigators are worried he could be desperate to stay free so do not approach him. If you know where he is, call 404-298-8132. 

The Source

  • Statements from Skyler’s father, Chauncey Gilmore; The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office; and DeKalb County Superior Court records were used in this article.