Man Convicted Of Murder, Assault Sentenced In Fatal Decatur Shooting

DECATUR, GA — A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murder and assault charges in connection with the shooting death of a woman and the assault of her fiancé in an ongoing battle involving their landlord.

The jury on Thursday convicted Danny John Marillo Hunter in connection with the death of 40-year-old Kateasha Cardell and her 48-year-old fiancé in September 2021, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office said Tuesday.

The couple was living in a rented home belonging to Hunter's father, with whom they had been involved in an ongoing feud regarding the disconnection of utilities and "unusual charges" in Cardell's bank account for which she thought the landlord was responsible, according to the district attorney's office.

They arrived at Hunter's father's Dove Valley Road home around 4 p.m., Sept. 22, to speak with him about the charges. The district attorney's office said while the group was in front of the home, Hunter retrieved a revolver from inside and shot Cardell.

As her fiancé tried getting into a car, Hunter was accused of then shooting him. The man was able to drive to the DeKalb County Jail for assistance, the district attorney's office said.

Authorities found Cardell lying in the roadway with a gunshot wound to the back of her neck, the district attorney's office said. She later died while at the Atlanta Medical Center.

Hunter, who was arrested at the scene, claimed he was trying to protect his father from the couple; however, neither Cardell nor her fiancé were armed at the time, the district attorney's office said.

The jury convicted Hunter of involuntary manslaughter, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to the district attorney's office.

DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge Shondeana Morris sentenced him to serve life in prison, the district attorney's office said.