High school football player was found dead before state title game. Now, arrest made
A 19-year-old is charged in the death of a Georgia high school football player found shot on the eve of his team’s state championship game, state investigators said.
A’darius Jashawn Williams was arrested Tuesday, Jan. 2, after he was accused of killing Manchester High School student Brandon Smith, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He was charged with murder.
Authorities said Smith, 17, was last seen Dec. 7 and reported missing two days later.
On Dec. 10, police got a 911 call about a body behind a home and determined it was Smith, the GBI said. Investigators suspected foul play and said they determined the teen was shot to death after an argument with Williams.
Smith, who was a member of Manchester High School’s football team, was supposed to play alongside his teammates in a state title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 11.
“Manchester High School’s celebration of playing for the Georgia 1-A State Football Championship has unfortunately turned into something none of us could have fathomed,” Meriwether County Schools officials said in a letter to families, adding that the community was “heartbroken.”
Smith was “a loyal teammate and friend who excelled on and off the field,” the letter said. “He will be deeply missed.”
The day of the game, Smith’s teammates honored him by taking his jersey onto the field, WAGA reported.
“He was the best brother in the world,” Smith’s sister, Janiyah Smith, told WSB-TV. “All that I could ask for to be honest.”
The GBI didn’t release additional information but said the investigation is ongoing.
Williams remains in custody at the Meriwether County Jail.
Manchester is about 80 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published January 3, 2024 at 1:00 PM with the headline "High school football player was found dead before state title game. Now, arrest made."