Atlanta Man Faces Death Penalty for 2009 Murder of Boxing Champ

ATLANTA, GA — A jury began hearing testimony Tuesday to determine whether an Atlanta man should face the death penalty for the 2009 murder of boxing champion Vernon Forrest.

On Monday, the jury found Charmon Sinkfield guilty of murder, felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and related gun charges, Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard Jr. said in a statement.

Fulton County Deputy Chief Judge Alford Dempsey Jr. is presiding over Sinkfield’s trial.

Fulton County Deputy Chief Judge Alford Dempsey Jr. is presiding over Sinkfield’s trial. To save his life, Sinkfield's attorneys planned to line up witnesses to testify Tuesday on his behalf, WSB-TV Channel 2 reported.

In his statement, Howard described how the crime occurred:

On July 25, 2009, Vernon Forrest was driving a car accompanied by his 10-year-old godson when he pulled his vehicle into a Southwest Atlanta gas station to put air in his tire. After Forrest stepped out of his vehicle, he was robbed by three men.

One of the men, Demario Ware, stole Forrest’s championship ring and watch at gunpoint. Forrest gave chase, but lost sight of Ware as he escaped into a nearby apartment complex on McDaniel Street.

The second assailant, Jquante Crews, drove Ware away from the scene. Forrest then encountered the third robber, Charmon Sinkfield. "As he turned to walk away, Sinkfield shot Forrest seven times," Howard said. "A number of the shots were fired as Sinkfield stood over the victim’s body."

Ware and Crews were convicted of their crimes in 2011 and 2012, respectively, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. They are serving life sentences.

Forrest boxed in the 1992 Summer Olympics and later won welterweight and junior middleweight titles, compiling a professional record of 41-3, Fox News reported.