Defendants found guilty on all counts following 11-day jury trial

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that Rodderick Glanton, Homer Upshaw, and Terrance Upshaw have been convicted in the June 2021 shooting that killed 17-year-old Jesse Ransom and 18-year-old Saiveon Pugh and wounded two others. The Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit presented evidence to a Muscogee County Jury, which returned its verdict on Nov. 14, 2023, following an 11-day trial. The defendants were found guilty on all 24 counts of the indictment, including Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. Rodderick Glanton, Homer Upshaw and Terrance Upshaw are members of the Marlo Gang, a hybrid criminal street gang in Columbus. Sentencing will take place on Nov. 29, 2023.

“Tragically, four teenagers were gunned down while passing through the Wilson Apartment complex, and two of them were executed as a result of that shooting,” said Carr. “For far too long, these three defendants and other members of the Marlo Gang have brought violence upon this community, and this week the people of Muscogee County said no more. This verdict is a win for all the families who live in Wilson – they deserve justice, and they deserve to feel safe. We want to thank our partners at the Columbus Police Department, the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI for their dedicated efforts, and we look forward to continuing to work with them to combat gang activity in our state.”

This case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General Cara Convery, who leads Carr's Gang Prosecution Unit, and Assistant Attorney General McKenzie Gray. It was investigated by the Columbus Police Department, the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) Gang Task Force. 

“The defendants, engaged in gang-related activities, terrorized Columbus neighborhoods with violence and murder,” said Columbus Police Chief Stoney Mathis. “This verdict signals the jury's firm stance against such crimes. We owe this outcome to the hard work of our investigators and the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit. The Columbus Police Department remains dedicated to eradicating violent criminal enterprises. Together with our law enforcement partners and community, we're committed to ensuring a safer tomorrow.”

“I hope the gang community will understand we are not playing when we come together to get the job done on behalf of the great Citizens of Georgia,” said Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman. “When we join together in this fight, we are stronger. We will not cower to a gang culture. I am grateful for the hard work of our State of Georgia Attorney General’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office as well as all others involved in helping to bring hope and a sense of comfort to the victims of these crimes.”

“The GBI’s Gang Task Force remains committed to working with our local and state partners to defeat criminal street gangs in Georgia,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “This conviction is a loud testament to the results a community like the one in Muscogee County can have when we work together. We are grateful for our partnership with the AG’s Office and our work continues.”

Guilty Verdict

On Nov. 14, 2023, the defendants were found guilty of the following charges.

Rodderick Glanton, 28, of Columbus:

  • 2 counts of Malice Murder
  • 2 counts of Felony Murder
  • 4 counts of Aggravated Assault
  • 6 counts of Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act
  • 3 counts of Criminal Damage to Property in the First Degree
  • 1 count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony

Homer Upshaw, 28, of Columbus:

  • 2 counts of Malice Murder
  • 4 counts of Felony Murder
  • 4 counts of Aggravated Assault
  • 8 counts of Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act
  • 3 counts of Criminal Damage to Property in the First Degree
  • 1 count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
  • 1 count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
  • 1 count of Trafficking in Marijuana

Terrance Upshaw, 31, of Columbus:

  • 2 counts of Malice Murder
  • 2 counts of Felony Murder
  • 4 counts of Aggravated Assault
  • 6 counts of Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act
  • 3 counts of Criminal Damage to Property in the First Degree
  • 1 count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony

Case Summary

On June 14, 2021, at approximately 10 p.m., officers with the Columbus Police Department’s Homicide Unit were dispatched to the scene of a shooting in the Wilson Apartment complex. Once they arrived, officers located two damaged vehicles, including one small silver sedan with four victims inside. All four victims had sustained gunshot wounds.

Surveillance cameras in the Wilson Apartment complex showed a small silver sedan driven by 17-year-old Jesse Ransom as it rides past a home located across the street multiple times. The home was occupied by the defendants – Rodderick Glanton, Homer Upshaw and Terrance Upshaw.

Immediately after the first pass, the defendants appeared to take notice of the victim’s car.

On the third pass, the defendants set up in shooting positions.

On the fourth pass, Rodderick Glanton, Homer Upshaw and Terrance Upshaw opened fire on the vehicle.

The defendants continued firing even after the car wrecked and multiple victims were clearly struck. Gunfire spilled out into the rest of the community and damaged other vehicles and units in the complex. 

Jesse Ransom and Saiveon Pugh, who was 18 years old and seated behind Ransom, were both killed as a result of the shooting.

The front-seat passenger, a 16-year-old male, required medical attention but could walk on scene. An 18-year-old male, who was seated behind him, was transported to the hospital and ultimately survived his injuries.

In all, investigators located over 60 shell casings and no evidence of gun fire from the victim vehicle.

The defendants are members of the Marlo Gang, which is associated with US World, a powerful hybrid criminal street gang in Columbus, Georgia. US World is comprised of other national gang affiliates, including the Gangster Disciples and some Crips, and it has absorbed other hybrid gangs, such as the Lime Green Money Gang.

The victims were associated with Zohannon, a hybrid criminal street gang with current, active conflicts with multiple groups, including US World.

This case was indicted by the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit on Oct. 25, 2022.

About the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit

Last year, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp and members of the General Assembly, Attorney General Chris Carr created Georgia’s first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit.

Since it began its historic work on July 1, 2022, the Gang Prosecution Unit has indicted 89 alleged gang members in Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Bryan, Clayton, Cobb, Dougherty, Fulton, Gwinnett, Muscogee, and Thomas counties.

The Gang Prosecution Unit is housed in the Attorney General’s Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and his Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit.

The statewide Gang Prosecution Unit is based in Atlanta, with regional, satellite prosecutors and investigators in Albany and Augusta, Georgia.

Contact

Communications Director Kara Richardson

[email protected]