ATLANTA -- The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the murder convictions of Rodalius "Lil Rod" Ryan and Damone Blalock, two defendants initially tied to the high-profile YSL RICO case. The court's decision affirms their life sentences for the 2019 murder of Jamari Holmes and other related crimes.
According to court documents, the convictions are tied to an unrelated incident on February 23, 2019, when Ryan, Blalock, and two women were together at an apartment in Fulton County. The women invited three victims, including Holmes, to meet them. Once at the location, the victims gave money to purchase marijuana. While waiting in the car, Holmes and the others were ambushed by gunfire.
According to evidence presented at trial, Ryan and Blalock fired at the victims' car, striking Holmes in the head and killing him. Ballistic evidence confirmed the shots came from two different firearms, including a rifle. Witness testimony, including accounts from one of the women and two surviving victims, further implicated Ryan and Blalock as the shooters.
Both defendants were convicted of malice murder, aggravated assault, and related charges in 2021. Their life sentences included additional consecutive years for other crimes tied to the shooting.
Ryan and Blalock both appealed their convictions, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and procedural errors during their trial.
The Georgia Supreme Court, however, found no grounds for reversal. The court determined the evidence against the defendants -- including eyewitness testimony, ballistics, and incriminating messages sent between the defendants and a witness -- was substantial and upheld the jury's verdict in an opinion released Tuesday morning.
Ryan and Blalock were initially indicted as part of the broader YSL RICO case in 2022, which targeted 28 individuals accused of gang-related crimes. While Ryan pleaded guilty to conspiracy under the RICO Act, his 10-year sentence was commuted to time served, running concurrently with his life sentence.
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Blalock had been previously severed from the initial RICO case due to illness and is among six defendants that the Fulton County District Attorney's office dropped charges against in December.