By Joe Johnson
An Athens man was who allegedly murdered a teen over a year and a half ago recently failed in his third bid to be released from jail on bond, according to Clarke County Superior Court documents.
Marquavious Devante Knox, 28, of Lombardy Circle is accused of malice and felony murder for the April 1, 2019 shooting death of 19-year-old Bogart resident Jamelle Brightwell at the Bethel Midtown Village apartment complex.
Athens-Clarke County police, who quickly identified the suspected shooter as Knox, arrested him on the murder charges. Police did not release a motive for the shooting.
Two months later a grand jury indicted Knox on those charges, plus possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Grand jurors additionally charged him with family violence battery because on the day of Brightwell’s death, Knox allegedly assaulted the mother of his child, according to the indictment.
Knox pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Since his arrest, Knox filed motions for bond three times – in May 2019, and April and Oct. 27 of this year.
Western Judicial Circuit Judge Lisa Lott denied the motions, noting that at the time of the alleged murder, Knox already was out on bond for two pending felony cases.
Those pending cases “provides the Court with enough concern that he is a danger to persons n the community and a significant risk of committing future felonies if released on bond,” Lott wrote in her Oct. 27 order.