Man given three life sentences for Macon home invasion that left two men dead
A 33-year-old was sentenced Thursday to serve three consecutive life sentences for his role in a home invasion that left two men dead and two victims “traumatized,” according to the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
A jury found Deon Banks guilty of malice murder, felony murder, rape, aggravated sodomy, false imprisonment, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony on Thursday, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors called the case “one of the most heinous crimes in recent memory,” they said Friday.
“This verdict reflects the overwhelming evidence of Deon Banks’ heinous crimes and the jury’s recognition of the terror he inflicted on innocent victims in their own home,” said District Attorney Anita Howard.
Banks will ‘spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs’
Banks invaded a home in the 3500 block of Morris Avenue, where he held four victims at gunpoint on Nov. 3, 2022, according to prosecutors, who referenced statements made by a surviving victim during the trial. Banks had accused Milton Jolly, 61, of stealing a gun and demanded payment.
Though Jolly told Banks he would give him the money in two days, Banks “threatened to kill everyone in the home if he wasn’t paid,” according to prosecutors.
He broke into one of the surviving victims’ rooms, brandishing two firearms, where he assaulted Jolly and later sexually assaulted the victim while Jolly watched, prosecutors said.
Jolly attempted to flee the home, but Banks pursued him and shot him. He then shot George Brooks, 41, when he returned to the home. Jolly and Brooks both died. Banks was arrested the same day by deputies with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office “with a .360 caliber Hi-Point firearm that matched the shell casings found at the crime scene, as well as a smaller .22 caliber pistol with a jammed round,” prosecutors said.
He will face an additional five years on top of his three consecutive life sentences, prosecutors said.
“While nothing can undo the trauma suffered by the survivors or bring back George Brooks and Milton Jolly, this conviction ensures that Banks will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs,” Howard said.
