COVINGTON, Ga. — A Covington man who fled to New York state after intentionally running down and killing a 20-year-old in 2019 was found guilty of intentional murder and sentenced to life in prison in a Newton County court last week.
The Newton County Superior Court jury deliberated for only 30 minutes Thursday, Sept. 1, before finding Joshua Edward Anderson guilty of intentionally killing Kevin Marshall on the Fourth of July in 2019, said District Attorney Randy McGinley.
The jury found Anderson guilty of all charges in the indictment, including Malice Murder, Felony Murder and Aggravated Assault, McGinley said.
Anderson was sentenced immediately following the verdict to Life plus 5 years in prison.
The incident began when Anderson physically assaulted Marshall, pinning him on the ground and struck him several times on July 4, 2019, at a residence on North Lake Drive.
“Marshall then left the residence on foot. Anderson got into his truck and chased after Marshall at a high speed. Upon seeing Marshall, Anderson intentionally struck Marshall with his truck, killing him,” McGinley said in a statement.
“Anderson continued driving, fleeing the area. He then hid his truck in the woods near his residence,” the DA said.
He was later seen driving a 2001 Toyota Tacoma and a 2005 Toyota Highlander, according to a 2019 report in The Covington News.
He then obtained another vehicle and fled to upstate New York before being caught close to the Canadian border, McGinley said.
“He was apprehended and brought back to Newton County to face the charges,” McGinley said.
Further fueling the controversy of the case was the fact that Anderson, a white male, committed this crime against Marshall, 20, a black male, which caused some to speculate that the case should be considered a hate crime.
However, Deputy Michael Gregg told The Covington News in 2019 the incident was not a hate crime, and the Rev. Eric Lee, pastor of Springfield Baptist Church in Conyers, urged the Newton County community during a news conference not to believe every existing social media rumor regarding the case.
McGinley said, “Kevin was only 20 years old when Anderson intentionally and brutally took his life.
“So many with law enforcement and the DA’s office relentlessly worked on this case to bring justice for Kevin and his family. I hope this verdict serves as a measure of closure for his family.”
The victim's mother told WSB-TV her son was autistic.
Publisher and Editor Gabriel Stovall contributed to this report.
