Kalvin Suggs

MOULTRIE, Ga. — A Colquitt County Superior Court jury took about three hours on Thursday to return guilty verdicts on all counts in a 2015 murder case that could bring a life sentence.

Jurors found Kalvin Tyrone Suggs guilty on counts of malice murder and felony murder.

Suggs, 29, also was convicted on charges of aggravated assault, two counts possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and three counts possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Only the two murder counts and the two possession by convicted felon charges will be considered at sentencing, with the other four vacated.

Suggs was convicted in the March 1, 2015, fatal shooting of 25-year-old Tony Harrison. Evidence showed that Harrison and his brother got the better of Suggs in a fight in the Jackpot club, located in Sunset Plaza on South Main Street.

After the club closed two people armed with guns fired shots.  

While speaking to attorneys after the jury had been excused, Superior Court Judge James E. Hardy said that Suggs could be sentenced to a life sentence, either with or without parole, on the four remaining counts.

He scheduled sentencing for Suggs on Feb. 22 at the Colquitt County Justice Center courtroom on Veterans Parkway North.

The verdict came after two days of testimony and other evidence. The jury began deliberations Thursday morning after closing arguments and legal instructions, then reached their decision about 2:05 p.m. on six of the charges.

Sent back to discuss the felon in possession charges, the 12 members took about 10 minutes to reach guilty verdicts.

During the trial, the prosecution played a recording of a conversation between Suggs and one of his friends. In it, Suggs discussed what that friend told police and asked repeatedly whether they asked him about “the gun.”

Prosecutors maintained that Suggs, who rode with that friend, Patrick Pridgen, to Atlanta a short time after the shooting, went there to dispose of the 9 mm pistol used in Harrison’s slaying and the clothes he was wearing that night.

The pistol was never recovered.

The second of the felon in possession charges related to a traffic stop on March 5 after Suggs had returned from Atlanta. At the time, there was a .40-caliber Beretta semi-automatic pistol in the console next to the passenger seat in which he was sitting.

A number of shell casings and pistol were found next to Harrison’s body. Police say that he returned fire after Suggs began shooting at him.