By Joe Johnson
A 24-year-old Athens man was arrested this week for an alleged murder nearly a year ago at a west Athens apartment complex.
Willie Tremaine Nickholas Evans, 24, was booked into the Clarke County Jail Sunday night on murder and other charges related to the June 13, 2019 fatal shooting of 51-year-old David Lee Burnette in the victim’s home at the University Oaks complex off West Broad Street.
Athens-Clarke County police believe that robbery was the motive for the shooting.
Evans, who also resided at University Oaks, was additionally charged with aggravated assault, false imprisonment and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to the jail’s website.
At the time of the incident, police said officers responded to University Oaks to investigate a report of gunshots.
An investigation determined that immediately after the shooting, Evans fled to Florida, where he was llater arrested on the unrelated charges of illegal possessio of a concealed firearm, resisting arrest with violence, and battery on a police officer, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
According to court records, Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Evans on Nov. 19, an Evans was extradited to Georgia on Sunday.
The suspect was being at the county jail without bail being set.