DECATUR, GA — A Stockbridge man accused of robbing, shooting and killing a man has been sentenced to life in prison, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced in a news release Friday.
Boston’s office said Joshua Cortez Ellis, 25, was convicted on malice murder, three counts of felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a first offender probationer.
Ellis was accused of robbing Ronald Peters, 28, with another man at gunpoint around 8:30 a.m., June 9, 2019, near Peters’ Orchard Circle home.
Witnesses told officers Ellis shot Peters after he refused to give Ellis his backpack, according to the release. Peters fell to the ground, then Ellis grabbed the backpack and shot Peters once more.
As Ellis and the second man drove away, witnesses reported hearing another gunshot, according to the release.
DeKalb County police officers found Peters suffering from gunshot wounds in his neck, arm and torso, according to the release. He was taken to Atlanta Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.
Detectives located Peters’ phone, which showed multiple alerts relating to use of his debit car at a Fairington Road gas station after the shooting, according to the release.
“Investigators obtained surveillance footage from the gas station of Defendant Ellis as he made a purchase with the debit card and then got into a maroon truck,” the release said.
The footage also showed the truck going across the street to a nearby retail store. In the video, Ellis was seen going into the store with co-defendants Tyreese Johnson, 23, and Shaleeya Moore, 23.
The truck was recovered a few days later in Atlanta with a possible bullet hole in one of its doors, according to the release. It had been reported stolen in a Clayton County carjacking a day before the fatal shooting of Peters.
According to the release, Ellis confessed to being in the truck and using Peters’ debit card at the gas…
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