"Gay Panic" Killer Convicted of Murder

An Atlanta man who tried to argue that he killed a man in self defense after the victim came on to him was convicted of murder by a Fulton County jury on Tuesday, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Marquavyian Gude, 19, shot and killed Devontavius McClain on or around April 20, 2013, when McClain went from Griffin to Atlanta to meet up with Gude. Gude claimed he killed McClain for making a pass at him, having thought he was meeting a woman for sex, the DA’S Office said. Prosecutors said that Gude couldn’t explain why he rode around with McClain for several hours instead of simply leaving the rendezvous when he found out he was meeting another man.

Cell phone records linked Gude to McClain, and evidence showed Gude tried to use McClain’s debit card to make purchases, the DA’s Office said. Gude was also seen driving McClain’s car shortly after he disappeared; McClain’s body was found in the trunk of the car two months after he went missing.

Jurors found Gude guilty of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, theft by taking and weapons offenses. Gude was sentenced to life plus five years in prison by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Craig Schwall, the DA’s Office said.