Two Marietta Men Convicted in Smyrna Apartment Murder

MARIETTA, GA — Two Marietta men convicted of murdering a woman in a Smyrna apartment have been sentenced to life without parole plus five years in confinement.

After a two-week-long trial, a Cobb jury on Friday found Simeon Gashon Moore, 27, and Walter Vernell Milbourne, 31, guilty of murder, aggravated assault, burglary, armed robbery, violation of Georgia controlled substances act, and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony. Moore was also convicted of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.

On Nov. 12, 2014, the defendants and their co-defendant, Kevin Nathanial Robinson, attempted to conduct a drug transaction with Jamie Milton, 29, the boyfriend of victim Jamie Adedra Moore, 24.

Robinson left his cell phone in Milton’s vehicle, and the defendants saw Milton drive back into the Mission Galleria Apartments in Smyrna. They then drove around the apartment complex until they found Milton’s vehicle, a Buick LeSabre. Milbourne and Robinson then began knocking on doors until they located the apartment where Milton was residing.

They had Milton come back outside so they could look for Robinson’s phone. The defendants then held Milton at gunpoint at his vehicle while Milbourne gained entry into Milton’s apartment, where victim Jamie Moore was inside cooking dinner. Milbourne threatened Jamie Moore with a firearm, demanding the marijuana. Unaware of what was going on, Jamie Moore tried to fight off Milbourne, but was shot execution-style in the head.

At the same time, Milton was still being held at gunpoint by Simeon Moore. As the defendants were getting in Simeon Moore’s Toyota Camry, he repeatedly fired at Milton as he tried to escape. As Milbourne exited the apartment with the marijuana, money and clothing items, he stated that Milton “had to die” and he also fired a round at the windshield of the LeSabre where Milton was taking cover. Milton was grazed by one of the bullets fired at him, but made it to the leasing office where a 911 call was placed. Milton gave a description of the red Toyota Camry and of the defendants, their clothing and possible weapons used.

Soon thereafter, defendants engaged Smyrna and Cobb officers in a chase that ultimately ended with the Camry striking two vehicles and flipping, coming to a rest upside down. Defendants ran but were apprehended a short distance from the crash site. Approximately seven ounces of marijuana was recovered at the crash scene. It was later determined that on the day before this incident, on Nov. 11, 2104, Walter Milbourne and Simeon Moore had encountered Marcus Brashear at an apartment complex in Marietta, and Milbourne tried to engage Brashear in a fight. Brashear left the scene and within less than two minutes a red vehicle similar to the Toyota Camry was following Brashear’s vehicle. A passenger within the red vehicle fired several shots at and injured Brashear. The recovered projectiles from the drive-by shooting from Nov. 11, 2014 and from the fatal shooting of Jamie Moore on Nov. 12, 2014 were examined and compared by the GBI Crime Lab. It was determined by the GBI Crime Lab that these projectiles were both fired from the same 9mm firearm. On Monday, Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert Leonard II sentenced Moore and Milbourne each to serve life without parole plus the mandatory five years for the firearms charge.
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