CAMERON SHEMAR ALLEN AND JADARAKIS AVUNTRAY CALDWELL CONVICTED AFTER JURY TRIAL OF MURDER, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, AND POSSESSION FIREARM DURING COMMISSION OF FELONY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2023

On February 15, 2023, a jury in the Superior Court of Carroll County found Cameron Shemar Allen, 20, of Carrollton, guilty of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession Firearm During Commission of Felony. The jury also found Jadarakis Avuntray Caldwell, 20, of Carrollton, guilty of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession Firearm During Commission of Felony. Superior Court Judge Erica Tisinger presided over the trial and has scheduled sentencing for Mr. Allen and Mr. Caldwell on March 30, 2023.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Lara Todd prosecuted the case. Investigator Jeremy McCormick of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office was the lead investigator.

On November 22, 2020, in the early morning hours, the Bowdon Police Department was called out to Angela Avenue in reference to a shooting. Once on scene, the Bowdon Police Department found the victim, Christopher Parker, 19, deceased from a gunshot wound to the chest. Witnesses on scene provided investigators with a description of the suspect vehicle and a shell casing near the victim was recovered from the scene. A BOLO on the suspect vehicle was put out and the vehicle was identified by a Carroll County deputy on Highway 61 at Ira Smith and Dyer Road. The driver of the vehicle stopped his vehicle, never attempted to flee from law enforcement, and was arrested without incident. However, the back seat passenger and front seat passenger ran from the vehicle in the direction of Ivy Court. In the vehicle, under the front passenger seat, a Glock .40 caliber handgun was located. A further search of the vehicle revealed two ski masks, gloves, and the cell phone of the back seat passenger.

During the investigation it was determined that the back seat passenger was Jadarakis Avuntray Caldwell, and the front seat passenger was Cameron Shemar Allen. A witness testified in trial to picking up Caldwell and Allen in the area of the traffic stop in the relevant time frame. The same day law enforcement executed a search warrant at the home of Caldwell and recovered the hoodie and sweater believed to be worn by Caldwell, as seen by the deputy who stopped the suspect vehicle.

The firearm located under the front passenger seat was tested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, who confirmed it matched the shell casing found at the crime scene. Allen and Caldwell were on the run until December 17, 2020, when they were located together in Atlanta, Georgia, by members of the US Marshals Service. Social media records obtained in the investigation confirmed that Allen and Caldwell were actively taking steps to flee Carroll County and avoid being discovered by law enforcement. Although the driver was initially reluctant to speak to investigators and was charged with murder, he ultimately chose to tell the truth about the shooting, as corroborated by the other evidence, and the State agreed to plea him guilty to Hindering the Apprehension of a Criminal on February 15, 2023.

JOHN HERBERT CRANFORD, JR.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
COWETA JUDICIAL CIRCUIT