Just hours before family and friends gathered in Lithonia on Monday to say goodbye to boxing champion Vernon Forrest, police received a tip leading them one step closer to solving his murder.
Forrest, 38, was gunned down on July 25th at the intersection of Fulton and McDaniel streets in southwest Atlanta after chasing a man who robbed him at a nearby Chevron station.
Tips began pouring in minutes after Forrest’s case was featured on a segment of America’s Most Wanted this past weekend. Detectives told Channel 2’s Tom Jones that someone came forward and gave them the name of the man seen on surveillance video from a security camera in a hallway at 505 Fulton Street apartments.
Police believe that man’s accomplice was confronted minutes later outside the apartments by Forrest, but he was able to convince the boxer that he wasn’t the robber. When Forrest turned to walk back to the gas station where his 11-year-old godson waited, the robber’s accomplice shot Forrest 8 times in the back.
Police said as many as 3 to 4 men may have been involved in the crime. “We have a couple of names that we’ve identified,” said Lt. Keith Meadows, commander of the APD’s homicide unit. Though they won’t release any names, police say the person of interest seen on the surveillance video has a past criminal record. Arrest warrants are expected to be issued by the end of the week.
