Video, Social Media Evidence and DNA Link Men to Murder

Decatur, Ga.- DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces the conviction of two known gang members, Cordarius Dorsey associated with Slaughter Gang and YSL (Young Slime Life), and Quintavious Jackson associated with Slaughter Gang. Both were accused of robbing and killing a man at a gas station. Jurors returned guilty verdicts last Friday against 33-year-old Dorsey, and 29-year-old Jackson in connection with the armed robbery and shooting death of Sulaiman Jalloh, 39, a husband and father of six.

Defendant Dorsey was found guilty on charges of Malice Murder, three counts of Felony Murder, Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon During Commission of a Crime, and Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony. Defendant Jackson was found guilty on two counts of Felony Murder, Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony.

The fatal incident took place on October 15, 2019 at the Marathon gas station in the 2500 block of Gresham Road. According to the investigation, Defendants Dorsey and Jackson, who knew the victim often carried large amounts of cash, can be seen in surveillance video waiting for Jalloh to arrive at the gas station. Dorsey wore a burgundy bucket hat with a gold emblem and orange sneakers with black stripes, and Jackson wore a navy blue polo and had a distinctive hairstyle, all of which would later become key elements in identifying the defendants.

Upon Jalloh’s arrival, Dorsey approached the vehicle and confronted him while Jackson served as a lookout. Upon seeing Dorsey, Jalloh tried to shut his car door, but Dorsey forced it open. The two struggled briefly before Dorsey shot Jalloh in the chest. Jackson approached Jalloh and grabbed a bag from him before Jackson fled and Dorsey calmly walked away. Jalloh succumbed to the gunshot wound.

Eyewitness accounts and anonymous tips led detectives to identify Dorsey, then connect Jackson to Dorsey via social media. Defendant Jackson was taken into custody on October 25, 2019. Defendant Dorsey, who remained at large for three months, was captured by fugitive officers at a hotel in College Park on January 16, 2020.

A search of Jackson’s home turned up the bucket hat and the polo worn by the suspects the night of the murder. DNA profiles on the hat matched both defendants. In an interview with detectives, Jackson identified himself in a still shot from the surveillance video, and a family member also confirmed his identity. In a driver’s license photo taken two days after the murder, Jackson has the same hairstyle as one of the men in the surveillance video.

Phones collected from both defendants upon their arrest contained photos connecting the two men to each other and matching their appearances to those of the men in the surveillance video. Social media videos recorded the day before the murder show Dorsey with the sneakers worn by the shooter. Additionally, Dorsey used his device to search for articles about the shooting, and to send incriminating messages that indicate he knew he was a suspect and was on the run.

Immediately following the verdict, each defendant was sentenced to a term of life without the possibility of parole plus five years by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Yolanda C. Parker-Smith, who presided over the trial.

The case, assigned to the District Attorney’s Homicide & Gangs Unit, was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Jill Hartsfield, with assistance from ADA Reid White, DA Investigator Alex Cushenan, and Victim Advocate Desiree Livingston. Former DeKalb County Police Department Detective JB Williams, now an investigator with the DA’s Office, led the initial investigation.