News

Hawkins Parnell & Young Prevails in $20 Million Murder Case

July 16, 2019 – Press Release

July 16, 2019 (Macon, GA) – Hawkins Parnell & Young secured summary judgment for a property management company in a tragic premises liability case involving the murder of a tenant. E. Tyron Brown represented the defendants, who own and operate the apartment complex in Macon, Georgia.

The case arose when the plaintiffs’ son, Milton Stephens, Jr., was fatally shot after opening his apartment door to a stranger at 3 in the morning on August 18, 2014. After Stephens was shot and killed, the unknown assailant ran away and has not yet been apprehended. The plaintiffs then sued the defendants for $20 million, alleging negligent security caused the incident.

Plaintiffs hired John Villines, an expert on premises security and crime prevention. After discovery, Hawkins Parnell countered the claims, showing that there was no evidence any additional security measure would have prevented the shooting that occurred when Stephens opened his door voluntarily. The court agreed and granted the motion for summary judgment.