A Cobb judge this week sentenced a man to life without parole for shooting his friend to death at an apartment complex off Delk Road in 2020.
The Cobb District Attorney’s Office said that Kehari Yarber, 26, was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in commission of a felony by a Cobb Superior Court jury last week.
Judge Robert D. Leonard sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole plus an additional five years to be served consecutively.
The DA’s office said in a release that police were called to an area between the Stratford Ridge complex and the Atrium at Bentley complex on Oct. 31, 2020, and found a male body in the woods.
The release said that Blake Porter, 20, was pronounced dead on the scene, and that detectives found surveillance footage showing him walking in that area with another male on the evening of Oct. 30.
According to the release, there was a muzzle flash that appeared on the video, followed by a second muzzle flash some seconds later.
The DA’s office didn’t indicate a possible motive for the shooting, but said in the release that family members described Yarber as a close friend of Porter, with some calling him his “twin.”
The DA’s office said Yarber was identified as the other man from footage at a nearby Shell station and confirmed by images from friends and social media. The release said Yarber completed a transaction at the gas station before leaving.
According to the release, Yarber was arrested in Clayton County on Dec. 15, 2020.
“I am grateful for the dedication of law enforcement and the thorough work of our prosecutors in securing justice for Blake Porter and his loved ones. Our office will continue to pursue justice for victims and hold those who commit such senseless acts of violence accountable,” Cobb DA Flynn D. Broady Jr. said in the release.
Related:
- East Side ES students experience ‘Courtroom to Classroom’ event
- East Cobb investment adviser sentenced for Ponzi scheme
- Cobb State Court Clerk introduces QR codes to track cases
- Cobb Family Advocacy Center opens for domestic violence victims
Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
