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Two face murder charges in Union City home invasion

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizen.com

Two College Park men are in custody and have been charged with murder in a home invasion Saturday night in Union City. Twenty-four-year-old Carriage Cove subdivision resident Gary Lee Stanton died in the incident and his 27-year-old fiance Quashanti Murphy was beaten after two men entered their home.

Charles Damion Baugh, 20, and Walter Jackson Whitten, 25, were charged with murder in the incident, according to Union City Police spokesman George Louth.

Police received a call at approximately 11:05 p.m. Saturday from 6569 Carriage Court in Carriage Cove subdivision, Louth said. He said Murphy placed the call, reporting that her residence was being robbed and that she had been beaten and heard gunshots fired downstairs in the townhouse.

Louth said officers responded at the scene in less than five minutes, finding Murphy and her 10-month-old daughter inside the residence. She reported having heard noises and, believing someone was attempting to break in the residence, called Stanton, who also lived at the residence. While on the phone with Stanton, one of the two men that had broken in came upstairs and struck Murphy several times, demanding money, reports said.

It was during this time, said Louth, that Murphy reported hearing gunshots downstairs. Apparently close by, Stanton had already arrived at the residence, Louth said, and entered the home.

Following the exchange of gunfire downstairs, a second man ran upstairs and into Murphy’s bedroom and crashed through the window. He was followed through the window by the man that had beaten Murphy and demanded money. Both men jumped from the second story onto the shrubbery below and fled, said Louth.

Louth said the exchange of gunfire involved Stanton and one of the perpetrators. Stanton had been struck in the right side of his chest. He left his residence and crashed through the kitchen door of a neighboring residence, apparently in the attempt to solicit help, Louth said. Stanton was found by officers unconscious on the kitchen floor and was transported to Grady Hospital, where he died shortly after midnight, according to Louth.

Murphy was treated at the scene for minor injuries to the head and face. The young child was unharmed, Louth said.

Louth said Whitten was initially taken into custody on drug and weapons charges stemming from Toledo, Ohio warrants. Whitten was stopped and questioned by a Union City officer while traveling on foot near Flat Shoals Road, Louth said. Baugh turned himself into to authorities within the past 24 hours, said Louth, adding that Baugh confessed and implicated Whitten in the incident.

Louth said the apparent motive was robbery, though nothing in the residence was determined to have been stolen. Louth added that one of the perpetrators knew Stanton.