Uber Eats Driver Convicted In Buckhead Customer's Murder

ATLANTA, GA -- An Uber Eats driver who gunned down an unarmed customer in Buckhead earlier this year was found guilty Friday of murder. Robert Bivines, 36, was found guilty in the shooting death of Ryan Thornton, 30, after Thornton and his fiance ordered food from Tin Lizzy's Cantina using the Uber Eats apps on Thornton's phone. The couple were mourning the death of the woman's father, who had been cremated earlier on the day of Feb. 17, 2018.

Bivines picked up the order from the restaurant on Piedmont Road and drove it to Thornton’s Pharr Court South Northwest residence. Bivines parked outside the condominium building and Thornton approached the passenger side of the vehicle to retrieve his food order. Thornton reached inside the car and Bivines handed him the bag.

Twice, as Thornton attempted to walk away from Bivines vehicle, he turned around and re-directed his attention to the defendant as it appeared the two were having a conversation. During the last of these exchanges, Bivines fired five shots at Thornton. Two of the bullets struck Thornton in the arm and the other three in the thigh. Bivines shot Thornton twice while he was already down on the ground. Bivines sped away from the scene, but the entire incident, including the shooting, was captured by surveillance cameras.

As Thornton was lying on the ground, he managed to call his fiancé, who was still inside the condo, to inform her he had been shot. During that brief phone call Thornton said, “Don’t panic, I’ve been shot.” Thornton’s fiancé ran outside and attempted to render aid while she called 911. Thornton died several hours later at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Uber’s records showed that Bivines drove a 2012 Volkswagen Beetle which was the same vehicle depicted in the surveillance video. Police also obtained the surveillance video from the Tin Lizzy’s Cantina which showed Bivines picking up Thornton’s food order 23 minutes prior to the murder.

Bivines, accompanied by his attorney, turned himself in to Atlanta Police on February 19, 2018.
Thornton and his lawyer both claimed that the defendant acted in self-defense.

Thornton was a graduate of Morehouse College in May 2017 and had just recently begun a new job at UPS. Thornton had previously been accepted to West Point, and he was the son of a retired police officer and a high school principal.

Bivines was sentenced to life plus five years.

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