An attorney from Milwaukee who was reported missing after a night out in Atlanta died from injuries he sustained in a car crash in Clayton County.
Demetrice Allen was last seen on Dec. 6 when he stopped by TEN ATL, a bar in East Atlanta Village, to drink with friends.
Allen’s best friend said Allen’s next stop was The Graveyard Tavern on Glenwood Avenue. By 2 a.m., the group noticed Allen was gone.
In response to a text message from LaShauna Wint, Allen said he was heading to The Cookout restaurant on Moreland Avenue for a burger before going home.
Clayton County police were called to a multi-car accident with injuries in the area of Interstate 285 and Old Dixie highway.
Allen’s 2015 BMW 328i was among the vehicles involved in the accident. He was determined to be the at-fault driver.
The 30-year-old employment attorney was described as “alert, conscious and combative” with police.
His injuries were not considered life-threatening, but his condition prevented police from identifying him at the accident scene.
Police following up with the hospital where Allen was taken learned he succumbed to his injuries. Hospital staff called the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, who took custody of his body for an autopsy in the GBI crime lab.
Allen’s godmother, Daphne Handley, with whom he was staying, reported him missing on Dec. 8.
It wasn’t until days later that police realized the deceased man was the attorney reported missing in local and national headlines.
Allen was in Atlanta to interview for a job in the legal department at Delta Airlines, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
“He’s overcome so many obstacles in life,” said Wint before Allen was identified.
Wint said Allen lost his single mother about 10 years ago.
“He still pushed through and he finished college, top grades, got into the top law school,” Wint told Fox6 Now. “He’s just a fighter.”
South Fulton Police announced Allen’s death on Friday, Dec. 13. There was no explanation why authorities failed to contact his next-of-kin after he died.
