Gwinnett Woman Found Guilty in Meth Murder Case

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA -- A Gwinnett County woman will serve the rest of her life in prison for her role in the methamphetamine-fueled murder at her Buford home of a 20-year-old woman.

Amy McGarity was found guilty in Gwinnett County Superior Court on Friday of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and concealing the death of another.

The charges stem from the July 2013 killing of Kayla Weil, of Flowery Branch.

According to evidence at the trial highlighted by the Gwinnett County District Attorney's office in a news release, Weil was taken to McGarity's home on an unknown date that month by a friend, Frank Wiley.

Everyone there was using meth, according to the DA.

Weil went into a bedroom with another man, Cedric English, and had sex before passing out.

As she slept, and while everyone else at the home smoked more meth, McGarity expressed anger at Weil for supposedly stealing from her. Another man at the home, Cody Williams, made similar comments, according to testimony.

McGarity then told Williams to go tie up Weil, which he did. He used zip ties to bind Weil's wrists behind her back and bind her ankles while she was still unconscious.

He returned to the living room. Everyone continued smoking meth. And McGarity and Williams started talking about killing Weil.

When Weil awoke and started calling out to be freed, McGarity, holding a handgun, and Williams went into the bedroom. McGarity started pistol-whipping Weil in the head.

When the two came out of the bedroom several minutes later, Williams said McGarity looked "hot" beating Weil with the gun, according to testimony.

Wiley and Cedric English then left, allegedly to do a drug deal.

When they returned 30 minutes later, Wiley saw the bedroom window was broken. McGarity told him Weil had tried to escape and that Williams had "gone crazy" and broken Weil's neck.

Thinking it was a joke, Wiley left soon afterward.

According to prosecutors, the two then dumped Weil's body in a bathroom at Chestnut Ridge Park in Hall County -- less than two miles from the trailer park where Williams lived.

The park was closed to the public and Weil's body would not be found until that October, about three months later.

An ethernet cable was still wrapped around her neck when a cleaning crew found her and the cause of death was determined to be strangulation.

Wiley came forward to tell investigators what happened that day at McGarity's home and several other "drug acquaintances" of the victim and suspects were interviewed.

Williams was tried in March 2016 and found guilty on all counts, including murder. His sentencing was delayed and, prior to last week's trial of McGarity and English, he agreed to testify in exchange for a sentence of life, with the possibility of parole.

The jury in the trial, which lasted five days, reached verdicts on McGarity, but not English.

When they returned to deliberating, English entered a negotiated guilty plea to concealing a death.

He was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by seven years on probation.

McGarity was sentenced to life without parole, plus five years.