DA seeking death penalty in Rockmart case
What was originally scheduled to be an arraignment for a man accused of killing four people on Jan. 24 ended when the Tallapoosa Circuit District Attorney notifying the court he intends to seek the death penalty.
Daylon Delon Gamble is charged with murder in the deaths of Helen Rose Mitchell, 48, and Jaequnn Davis, 19, both of 503 Williamson St., and of Arkeyla Perry, 24, and Dadrian Cummings, 26, both at 319 Rome St. in Rockmart.
District Attorney Jack Browning said he filed paperwork just prior to the start of arraignment proceedings Monday morning before Superior Court Chief Judge Meng Lim.
Proceedings were postponed since the judge felt Gamble’s attorney should be present now that it has become a capital case. Gamble’s lawyer had previously sent in notice to waive his arraignment, a common occurrence in the courtroom.
An arraignment is a criminal proceeding where the defendant is officially called
before the court, informed of the crime there are accused of and asked to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.
No date is yet set for the continuance of proceedings against Gamble.
Gamble was arrested in Indianapolis, Indiana days after reportedly fleeing from two different murder scenes. He was captured and brought back to Polk County.
In an April court proceeding, attorneys for Gamble sought to have the arrest warrants against him dismissed.
The judge denied those motions and ruled at the time there was probable cause in issuing the warrants and enough evidence to proceed in the case. That hearing included some of the state’s case against Gamble provided by GBI Special Agent Amanda Carter.
She testified at the time that prior to the shootings, Gamble was hanging out with Cummings and Perry along with witnesses up until 7:44 p.m. Deandre Cummings, the cousin of Dadrian “Wade” Cummings was the last to see the two alive after he left to go get milk for his kids, according to Carter.
Carter also testified at the time that all five of the shooting victims including the sole survivor Peerless Brown were shot in the head.
Witnesses in the case said Gamble was believed to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the crime, Carter told the court.
Brown was interviewed twice by investigators, including a session with Carter and Rockmart police detectives. He was able to identify Gamble and knew him very well — the accused shooter used to babysit him as a child.
The District Attorney had no further comment since the judge previously put a gag order in place on those involved in the case.