‘Combination of misfortune and mistake.’ Charges dismissed in Macon murder case
A Macon judge ruled Monday that a murder suspect was justified in shooting the victim, citing evidence of the 2021 incident that showed the victim escalating the confrontation, according to court records.
Alex Antwon Skinner’s case was dismissed by Superior Court Judge David Mincey, who ruled that Skinner had shot and killed Desmond Wright in self-defense on May 29, 2021. He was previously charged with murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
“The evidence was clear that the Defendant did not go to Mr. Wright’s residence that night with any intent to harm anyone,” Mincey said in his ruling. “Rather, the evidence presented showed that – through a combination of misfortune and mistake – the Defendant found himself alone in an unfamiliar neighborhood confronted by a group of angry strangers that initiated and escalated a confrontation that ultimately led to the Defendant shooting Mr. Wright.”
Worked as a roadside assistance contractor
Skinner was working as a roadside assistance contractor on the night of the shooting when he received a request to unlock a gold Cadillac Escalade owned by a woman at 3740 Dreyfus Drive. He put the address on his GPS and drove to Dreyfus Drive, where he found a Cadillac Escalade, but it was registered in Wright’s name, rather than the woman’s, according to court documents.
Even though Wright’s car wasn’t gold, “in his experience, the vehicle color that he receives with the request for service can be incorrect,” Mincey said in his ruling.
He spoke to another woman standing in the yard, telling her that he was there to unlock the car, but she responded by saying she was not the owner. She then went inside to retrieve Wright and several other individuals, believing that Skinner was there to repossess the Cadillac.
However, Skinner realized Wright’s Cadillac was not the car that requested service, considering the vehicle’s identification number wasn’t the same one in the work order he received. Skinner couldn’t find the woman he saw in the yard to update her, so he decided to leave .
Two individuals then ran up to his car as he attempted to drive past Wright’s property. He was unable to drive away because one of them was standing in front of his vehicle, and he didn’t have enough room to go around because cars were parked on both sides of the street.
Then, Wright came to his vehicle, beat on his hood and approached the driver’s window. Skinner attempted to explain he was roadside assistance by showing his red Alfa Insurance T-shirt and apologizing, but Wright remained aggressive throughout the situation and threatened to shoot Skinner.
While Skinner was trying to show Wright his phone, he “attempted to pull him out of his car by his shoulders,” according to the court document. Because Skinner had his seatbelt on, Wright couldn’t pull him out of his car, but he attempted two more times before Wright shot him.
He’s ‘seen a lot of things happen on the job’
Skinner legally possessed a gun during the night of the incident, as he possessed a valid concealed carry permit. He always carried a gun with him for safety reasons, as he works at all times of day and night, in “some pretty rough areas,” where he has “seen a lot of things happen on the job,” according to Mincey’s ruling.
The incident with Wright was the first time he had used his gun during the job.
“The Defendant stated that he believed Mr. Wright when Mr. Wright told him that he was going to shoot and kill him,” Mincey said in his ruling.
As a result, Mincey ruled that he was justified in shooting Wright in self-defense and dismissed his case.
