Felony Murder Charges Added to Deadly Hair Weave Suspects

Rockdale News
December 31, 2013

James Wansley Edwards
James Wansley Edwards. It all started with a hair weave purchase that then turned into an armed robbery.

UPDATE: More charges were brought to the suspects arrested in connection with the shooting death over a hair weave purchase and robbery.

Felony murder charges were added to Christina Menzies – the sister of Jennifer Menzies, the victim who died in the shootout – and to James Edwards and Jaquan House. The charge of party to felony murder was added to Brandon Lamothe, who also faces probation violation felony charges, and Damani Young faces identity theft and fraud charges in addition to obstruction of a law enforcement officer charge.

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(Dec. 16, 7:32 p.m.) Three more arrests were made Friday in last week’s robbery-turned-killing of a Conyers woman over a hair weave sale – including the arrest of a man who had been suspected in the 2010 deadly shooting at a Conyers house party.

All three were arrested by the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the U. S. Marshals Service.

James Wansley Edwards, 21, of Stone Mountain was arrested and charged with armed robbery.

Brandon Jay Lamothe, 20, of Conyers was charged with being party to the crime of armed robbery and with three counts of probation violation felony.

Damani Carta Young, 19, of Conyers, was charged with law enforcement obstruction misdemeanor.

On Thursday, RCSO investigators had talked with Lamothe’s mother, who said that if her son was involved in the armed robbery, he needed to go to jail.

“(Brandon Lamothe’s mother) called Brandon while we were having the conversation. (She) told Brandon to turn himself in. (She) said that Brandon would turn himself in,” wrote the reporting deputy, Investigator Bradley Stewart.

However, after a day passed and Lamothe had not turned himself in, investigators tracked Lamothe’s phone to a location near Salem Road in Newton County but could not narrow down the address.

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