A Fayette County jury found Adrian Jelks guilty of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault (2 counts) and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony on October 23, 2024. At trial, the State presented evidence that just before 10pm on March 29, 2024, emergency personnel were dispatched to the Walmart in Fayetteville for reports of shots fired. Upon arrival, first responders found 19 year-old Antavius Holton who had been gunned down just inside the Grocery entrance, as well as a 9 year-old girl steps farther into the store who had been shot in the face. Investigators were able to locate video footage which was presented to the jury. The video showed Jelks, an on-duty Walmart employee, shooting through the front doors into the popular store. Evidence showed that Jelks, after returning from a short work break, walked back through the grocery entrance and remained in the vestibule area between the two sets of automatic doors. Moments later, the defendant walked back outside the store, where he appeared to watch Mr. Holton walk up to the entrance and step inside. Jelks then pulled a fully automatic 9mm pistol out of his pocket and pointed it at Mr. Holton, who then turned and ran into the store. Jelks pursued him, firing a burst of 19 rounds toward Mr. Holton, two of which hit him in the back. A third round struck the child who was looking at merchandise near the front of the store. Thankfully, she survived. Mr. Holton did not.
This case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Warren Sellers, who pointed to the crucial role the video evidence played in the prosecution of Mr. Holton’s murder. The efforts of Investigators Joseph Fritts and Dylan Bell of the Fayetteville Police Department built upon the immediate response of the Walmart loss prevention team, allowing for the quick apprehension and successful prosecution of Jelks and justice for the victims. The Honorable Judge W. Fletcher Sams pointed to Jelks’s lack of remorse when sentencing the defendant to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 25 years. He told the defendant “I’ve seen some cold blooded murders in my years as a judge, but this is right up there at the top of anything I’ve seen.” In speaking about the case, DA Broder commented on the normalcy of the activities of the victims in this case. “Any one of us could have been in the line of the defendant’s fire. While he was clearly targeting Mr. Holton, the defendant showed absolutely no mercy to anyone in the store that night. He didn’t care who he killed, and I am grateful to the jury for holding him accountable.”
