Woman sentenced to prison in stabbing death of teen boy in Macon
A woman will serve 15 years in prison for her role in a personal dispute that led to the death of a 16-year-old in Macon, prosecutors said in a news release Friday.
Zanaria Rashada, 21, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on Wednesday, the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office said. She was originally charged with malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault in the death of Gregory Smith, 16, on March 23, 2023, according to court records.
Rashada and a group of friends gathered behind a Bibb County apartment complex to settle a dispute on the day of the incident, according to prosecutors. She was armed with a knife.
The people who refused to fight left the scene, which left Rashada alone with Smith. Both “emotionally charged teenagers” continued to argue until Smith swung at Rashada, according to prosecutors. She responded by stabbing the 16-year-old once in his chest. He died from his injuries.
Rashada has been in custody since the day of the incident, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said Smith’s grandmother described the crime as “stupid and senseless” during her impact statement, according to the news release. She spoke about how much she misses her grandson when she visits his grave.
“A grandmother visits her grandson’s grave,” said District Attorney Anita Howard. “That is the real consequence of this kind of senseless violence. Our office took every factor into account in pursuing justice in this case. I believe a just criminal justice system can hold young people accountable for the harm they cause without throwing them away, and that is exactly what we did here.”
