Bad Links?
Other glitches?
Notify Webmaster

Home invader guilty

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

A Rex man was found guilty Wednesday of playing a role in a violent home invasion in north Fayette County in January.

Rasaul Malik Rayshad, 37, was sentenced to life in prison plus 40 years by Fayette County Superior Court Judge Christopher C. Edwards. Moments before, the jury convicted Rayshad of one count of armed robbery, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of aggravated assault.

A witness in the case testified that Rayshad met with him and two other men just before the home invasion took place on South Kite Lake Road Jan. 26. The witness, Fred Williams of Riverdale, said Rayshad made it clear he wanted to rob Richard and Parchando Love.

Rayshad testified in the case, contending the “meeting” was to set up a drug deal with Mr. Love. That allegation drew passionate criticism of the defendant from Assistant District Attorney Wesley Person.

In his closing, Person reminded the jury “there has been no evidence at all” that Mr. Love was a drug dealer. Person said he thought it was despicable that Rayshad would try to avoid a conviction by asserting Mr. Love was a drug dealer.

“If they were there to do a drug deal, why didn’t they tell police that in the first place?” Person said, arguing that would’ve been better than facing the assault, kidnapping and armed robbery charges, which carry a stronger range of penalties.

Rayshad testified that the meeting was to buy five pounds of marijuana from Mr. Love, whom he knew by the nickname “Deon.”

Williams, who had been to Mr. Love’s home before, testified that Rayshad and the two other men at the meeting to plan the home invasion asked him details about Mr. Love and the family’s home. Specifically, they asked about the Loves’ dogs, a special breed that could be vicious at times.

Assistant District Attorney Person pointed out that two pork chops were found at the scene of the crime, indicating that the persons who robbed the Loves had planned to distract the dogs.

Another defendant in the case, George Roberts Jr. of Decatur, was found guilty last week of the same charges as Rayshad. A third defendant, Jessie Mercer, is also expected to face trial in the case.