Macon man found guilty in brutal 2022 home invasion, sentenced to life
The charges stem from a November 3, 2022, home invasion on the 3500 block of Morris Avenue.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Bibb County jury found 33-year-old Deon Banks guilty Thursday on all 15 counts in connection with a 2022 home invasion that left two men dead and two others traumatized, according to a news release.
Prosecutors said Banks was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, rape, aggravated sodomy, false imprisonment, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The verdict resulted in three consecutive life sentences plus five years.
The charges stem from a November 3, 2022, home invasion on the 3500 block of Morris Avenue. During the trial, a surviving witness testified that Banks broke into the home armed with two firearms and held four victims at gunpoint.
When 61-year-old Milton Jolly tried to flee, Banks shot him and chased him outside before returning to fatally shoot 41-year-old George Brooks. A 45-year-old female survivor testified that Banks then forced her into a bedroom, assaulted Jolly and sexually assaulted her while forcing Jolly to watch.
Prosecutors said Banks had accused Jolly of stealing a gun and demanded payment from the residents. He allegedly threatened to kill everyone in the home if he was not paid. Banks was arrested later that day on Riverside Drive with a .380-caliber Hi-Point pistol that matched shell casings from the scene, as well as a .22-caliber pistol with a jammed round.
District Attorney Anita Howard released the following statement:
“This verdict reflects the overwhelming evidence of Deon Banks’ heinous crimes and the jury’s recognition of the terror he inflicted on innocent victims in their own home. While nothing can undo the trauma suffered by the survivors or bring back George Brooks and Milton Jolly, this conviction ensures that Banks will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs. Our office will continue to fight tirelessly for justice for victims of violent crime.”
