Man convicted in Augusta murder over a cigarette lighter
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - On Friday, a jury found an Augusta man guilty of the shooting death of a 33-year-old in a 2022 dispute over a cigarette lighter.
Frederick McNeal was convicted of felony murder and a firearm violation, according to District Attorney Jared Williams.
On July 26, 2022, McNeal gunned down Anthony Flowers, 33, at The Corner Store at Milledgeville and Wheeless Roads after an argument over a cigarette lighter, according to Williams.
McNeal attempted to claim self-defense for his actions.
“The jury saw through his unjust lies,” Wiliams said.
“Our community continues to speak out with its jury verdicts that the murders and violence must stop,” the district attorney said.
The shooting was near the start of a multi-year outbreak of violent crime that’s now claimed about 200 lives across the CSRA.
Communities large and small have been affected on both sides of the Savannah River.
However, as the largest city in the region, Augusta has been hit especially hard.
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