DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A North Carolina man found guilty of murdering his roommate and co-worker near the home they shared in Tucker in 2023 has just learned his sentence.
Multiple 911 callers reported a shooting in the 3100 block of Westwood Drive at around 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 20.
When DeKalb County police arrived, one of those callers met them and said his friend was the victim. He led them to a burgundy Dodge Charger where 35-year-old James Broadnax was motionless in the front passenger seat of the car. There were several bullet holes in the driver's side window and door. The car was still running, and the doors were locked.
Police collected 16 shell casings from the scene.
Through witness statements, police learned that Broadnax was rooming with three other men at the house and had gotten into an argument with one of them, 25-year-old Cedric Collins of Greensboro, North Carolina.
The witnesses told police that during the argument, both Broadnax and Collins left the house in separate vehicles. Collins told police that he noticed Broadnax following him and said he felt threatened. He told them he had shot his roommate in self-defense.
According to police, Collins never mentioned Broadnax having a gun nor threatening to use deadly force.
When police tested the murder weapon to match it with the recovered bullets, they discovered Collins emptied the entire magazine on Broadnax.
The jury found Collins guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life in prison, plus five years.