Alabama man pleads guilty to 2019 shooting in a Warner Robins nightclub, will serve 15 years
An Alabama man pleaded guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter in a shooting at a nightclub in Warner Robins in 2019 and will serve 15 years in prison, according to Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards.
Morgan Baker, 29, of Mobile, Alabama, admitted to his involvement in a 2019 shooting at Club Boss, which was formerly located at 532 N. Davis Drive in Warner Robins, that led to the death of Tarmarco Head. Baker was initially convicted of murder in 2022, but after he filed an appeal, the Georgia Supreme Court determined that certain evidence was improperly admitted and the case was sent back to Houston County Superior Court to be retried. Baker pleaded Monday morning, the day his retrial would have started.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with the following five years to be served on probation.
“This case is a stark reminder of the unjustifiable violence that too often follows disputes in nightlife settings,” Edwards said. “Baker escalated a minor altercation into deadly gunfire, costing Tarmarco Head his life and devastating his loved ones.”
An argument with security led to shooting
On the night of July 6, 2019, a rapper also from Mobile, Alabama called “NoCap” performed at Club Boss in Warner Robins, who Baker was with along with the rapper’s entourage, Edwards said. After the performance, Baker and another individual argued with security, which led Baker to go to their Sprinter van, get their firearms and start shooting toward the entrance of the nightclub, Edwards said. One of the bullets ended up striking and killing Head.
Baker was tried for murder in February 2022, where a Houston County jury found Baker guilty of malice murder and the judge sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole. But Baker appealed the decision and, upon the Georgia Supreme Court viewing the court records, they determined that the admission of a rap video during trial, which featured Baker and showed his relationship with “NoCap” was improperly admitted.
“While the Georgia Supreme Court overturned Baker’s original conviction on evidentiary grounds, the facts of this case remained clear: he played a direct role in an act of senseless violence that led to a man’s death,” Edwards said. “Rather than facing another trial, Baker has now accepted responsibility through this plea and will spend the next 15 years in prison as a result.”
