Boxing champion Vernon Forrest shot and killed in Atlanta

On July 25, 2009, at around 11 p.m., the body of a young black man was found near an apartment complex in the Mechanicsville neighborhood of Atlanta.

At the scene, where paramedics determined the victim dead, Keith Meadows, a former commander of the Atlanta Police Department, recognized the man who had been shot.

“It was the famous boxer Vernon Forrest,” Meadows said in the episode “Death Outside the Ring” of The real murders of Atlanta, Airs Saturday at 9pm ET/PT on oxygen“My heart was heavy because I am a fan.”

Vernon Forrest shot dead after robbery

At the age of 38, Forrest's life ended in a hail of bullets. Eight .40-caliber cartridge cases were found near his body. Bullet wounds showed that “he had his back to the shooter,” Rucker said. The real murders of Atlanta.

A .45 caliber pistol was also seized. Police determined that Forrest had a permit to carry the weapon. “There is a possibility that Mr. Forrest did indeed shoot his attacker,” Meadows said.

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Investigators on the scene quickly determined that Forrest had been robbed at a nearby gas station prior to the shooting.

At the gas station, about 300 feet from where his body was found, Forrest's Jaguar was parked next to an air pump, according to Brett Zimbrick, a now-retired homicide detective with the Atlanta Police Department.

Forrest's 11-year-old godson, Ernest, was with the boxer when he stopped to pump up his tires. After going to the store to get snacks, Ernest returned to find a man with a gun attacking Forrest. The man ran, Forrest chased him and shots were fired. The stationmaster called for help.

Search for a motive for Vernon Forrest's murder

“We didn't know if Vernon Forrest was specifically targeted because of himself or because of … his expensive car,” Zimbrick said.

He added that a single .45-caliber cartridge case was found in the area, confirming investigators' theory that Forrest shot his attacker. No blood was found at the crime scene.

Police were trying to determine a motive. Chavis said they needed to determine: “Was this the wrong place at the wrong time? Was this some kind of murder? Was it a carjacking gone wrong?”

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Meadows and his colleagues searched the area for eyewitnesses who could provide information. They found several neighborhood bystanders who were willing to cooperate.

“Based on the witness statements, we believed that at least three people were involved in the actual crime,” Zimbrick said.

The suspected attackers included the robber, the driver of a red car who was seen at the scene, and the shooter. “We have video surveillance footage from the apartment complex and the gas station,” Zimbrick added.

Investigators discovered that Forrest was wearing valuable jewelry before the shooting.

“Vernon wore a gold ring that said 'four-time champion' and a gold-plated Rolex,” said Marcus Garner, a former Atlanta Journal-Constitution Reporter, said The real murders of Atlanta. These items were not found at the crime scene.

Surveillance material leads to rupture

As police searched for clues and a motive, they were under pressure to solve the brutal murder of the famous fighter, The real murders of Atlanta.

Investigators placed great importance on interviewing Forrest's inner circle and identifying the red sedan at the crime scene.

Ultimately, investigators said, those interviews only confirmed that Forrest was a decent, community-minded man. “That investigation went nowhere,” Rucker said.

But 72 hours after the case began, investigators had a breakthrough thanks to surveillance footage. Video from a gas station showed figures near the air compressor, but the images were grainy.

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The suspected gas station robber's face is clearly visible in the footage from the apartment complex. “When we saw him looking into the camera, we thought, 'Man, that was a great shot,'” Meadows said.

Atlanta police asked the media to distribute the photo to determine the suspect's identity. The media frenzy sparked a flood of calls.

Police received hundreds of tips about the identity of the man in the surveillance image, Rucker said. An informant solved the case by Atlanta police received media-spread images of the man on their own phones.

Three suspects identified in Vernon Forrest murder case

The information led investigators to determine that the suspected robber was 20-year-old DeMario Ware, who had a history of run-ins with the law. His crimes were not violent.

Police spoke to Mare's grandmother, who confirmed his involvement in the crime. The real murders of AtlantaWare spoke to police with his lawyer at his side.

Ware said he and two men were at the gas station on their way to a club, Zimbrick said, when they saw the Jaguar stop and decided to attempt a robbery.

“DeMario told officers he ran toward the apartment complex,” Rucker said. “Vernon then chased him.”

In a recorded police interview, Ware recalled hearing gunshots during the crime. Police faced a roadblock when Ware told them he only knew the nicknames of his two alleged accomplices – Quante, the getaway driver, and Twin, the shooter.

Police noted they were looking for J'Quante Crews, 25, who was arrested and refused to speak to authorities. Twin, the suspected shooter, was identified as Charmon Sinkfield, 30. Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in 2009.

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Arrests in connection with Vernon Forrest's murder

Three weeks after the investigation began, all three suspects were in police custody. While in custody, Sinkfield was able to clarify why Forrest was shot so often, according to Zimbrick.

“He believed it was wrong of Vernon Forrest to contest the robbery and leave Ernest alone in the parking lot,” the former homicide detective said.

When Sinkfield said this to Forrest, Zimbrick continued, the boxer turned around and walked away. The alleged shooter took this as “disrespect,” Zimbrick said. “Sinkfield was angry and fired the gun.”

Forrest's ring and watch were not found during the investigation. Under Georgia state law, Ware, Crews and Sinkfield were charged with murder.

They were tried individually. In 2011, Ware and Crews were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 2016 Sinkfield was convicted and sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole plus 10 years in prison.

To learn more about the episode “Death Outside the Ring,” watch The real murders of AtlantaAirs Saturdays at 9pm ET/PT on oxygen.