Macon men sentenced to life in 2019 gas station slaying in Warner Robins, prosecutor says

Two Macon men were sentenced to life in prison Thursday after a 2019 armed robbery in Warner Robins, according to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office.

Roy H. Ford Jr., who was 19 at the time of the crime, was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder and armed robbery. Alvin Bernard Dunn, who was 36 at the time, was “the getaway driver,” a news release from District Attorney William Kendall said.

Navaneetbhai Patel, 49, was shot and killed on Dec. 15, 2019, at a Citgo gas station at 700 Russell Parkway in Warner Robins, The Telegraph previously reported. Deputies found that Patel was the husband of a gas station employee.

“In the end, those who mean to do harm to others in Houston County only have one place they need to be: Prison,” Kendall said.

Witnesses detailed how a masked man, identified as Ford, approached the counter with a gun, took money from the cashier and shot Patel, the district attorney said. Witnesses saw the men drive off in a getaway vehicle.

Detectives with the Warner Robins Police Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Bibb County agencies identified the suspects using DNA collected from the scene, and a gun and clothing inside a suspect’s vehicle, according to the district attorney’s office.

Ford does not have the possibility for parole. It was unclear whether Dunn was eligible for parole, and the district attorney’s office did not specify his charges as of Friday afternoon.

Assistant District Attorney Ryan English and Deputy Chief Greg Winters prosecuted the case.

“Violent crime has no place in civilized society and I’m glad that Patel’s killers will spend their lives behind bars, away from our society,” English said.