MANCHESTER, GA – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of 19-year-old A’darius Jashawn Williams on January 2, in connection with the murder of Brandon Smith, a 17-year-old high school football player. Smith’s body was discovered behind a house in Manchester, roughly 75 miles south of Atlanta.
Brandon Smith, a defensive lineman for Manchester High School, was reported missing by his family on December 9, two days after he was last seen. His body was found a day later, on December 10, the eve of his team’s championship game.
Investigators, who initially took over the case last month, suspect that an argument between Williams and Smith led to the shooting, which is believed to have occurred around December 7. Details of the dispute and the nature of the teenagers’ prior relationship, if any, remain unclear.
The case drew significant attention after Smith’s grandmother, Maxcine Atkinson, also known as Maxine Smith, reported him missing. She had been trying to contact him repeatedly without success. The discovery of Smith’s body was relayed to Atkinson by the boy’s football coach, as reported by Atlanta’s WXIA.
The community at Manchester High School was notified of Smith’s death on the day of his body’s discovery, causing a wave of shock just before an important football game.
Atkinson, who raised Smith from infancy, expressed to the New York Post her belief that her grandson wanted to share something with her the night before he disappeared. She remembered that he had snuck out of his room that night, something she realized the next morning.
Described by his grandmother as caring and good to people, Smith was known for playing basketball and football with neighborhood children. His grandmother emphasized his positive character, stating he “didn’t do nothing wrong” and was a “good boy.”