Men Charged with Zach Gamble's Murder to be Indicted by Grand Jury
In a hearing Friday, a Cobb County Magistrate Judge ruled that the men will be held without bond until they are indicted by a grand jury.
A Cobb County Magistrate Judge ruled Friday that the indictment of the four men charged with the murder of Acworth Marine Zach Gamble will go before a grand jury.
Earlier this month Cobb County police arrested Arthur Lynell Batchelor, 37, of Acworth; Tarell Winston Secrest, 36, of Marietta; Jason Scott Hill, 35, of Marietta; and Sean DGene Hall, 38, of Mableton, and charged them with committing felony murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery against Gamble. The men are still being held without bond.
Gamble, a two-tour Iraq veteran, was found unconscious in the parking lot of Concord Crossing apartments in Smyrna in the early morning hours of March 25. A taxi driver struck his body while backing into a parking space, but Cobb County police determined that the worst of his injuries were not caused by the taxi and suspected he’d been beaten.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that at Friday’s hearing a detective testified that Gamble sustained three skull fractures in the beating. Gamble lived for two more weeks in a coma before being taken off life support.
At the hearing a Cobb County police detective’s testimony recreated the events that led to Gamble’s murder. The Marine was attending a birthday party for Secrest, a middle school friend, in Smyrna on March 25.
The detective said it’s known that drugs and alcohol were served at the party saying it’s likely Gamble was intoxicated, but it’s not known if he and the men charged with murder were under the influence of drugs. However, the detective said witnesses confirmed that Gamble left the party twice to buy cocaine.
Late in the course of the all-night party Gamble began recounting war stories from his two tours in Iraq including the deaths’ of women and children and an incident where a man’s head was shot off his body. When asked to leave, Gamble grew belligerent and texted his friend a three-word taunt that the AJC said was too inappropriate to reprint.
At this time one of the men confronted Gamble in the parking lot where the Marine threw the first punch, the detective testified. Three other men joined the scuffle. Ultimately Gamble fell to the ground where he was kicked and hit in the face.
A defense attorney asked the detective if there was any way the Marine’s head injuries could have been caused by the taxi, but the detective said there was no evidence to support that. The detective also testified that Secrest didn’t seem surprised when he learned of his friend’s injuries from police.
Lizzi girl
10:53 am on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
You took a mans life because of his stories of what happened when he was deployed. Maybe that was his way of dealing what he saw and went through. You should be punished . Now your kids have to grow up without you in their everyday lives because you wanted him to stop talking, well he cant talk no more. Did you take into consideration of his family , your family, what you were doing ? Men like you deserve to be locked up, better yet , put to death. I dont think its right thst someone takes someones life and you spend so many years in jail with food, water, medical care, and on taxpayers money. You took a life, its only right that yours be taken away as soon as your found guilty. Judgement day is near and we will meet our lord and creator, then you explain to our lord, why you did what you did. Four men against one, what cowards. May you rot in hell for your stupidity.
Kerry Walker
4:23 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Those guys are done!
Completely Disgusted
4:37 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I don't care what led up to it. 4 on1 is wrong. Taking a man's life is wrong. The fact that you called this man your friend and later not only turned your back on him, but literally beat him to death. After all that instead of owning up to your wrong, you play dumb? All four of you make me sick! Justice will serve. Then when your life on earth ends, your enternal hell will begin.
Nina Austin-DeFrank
11:02 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012
Ignorant scum! That is all these losers are. I say they be put on the first plane to a Marine base in Afganistan or Iraq and used as human shields. Your four are not worth the organs God put into your bodies. You are a disgrace to society, your children and for sure your parents. Friend? No.......Murdering Judas! Did you beat you kids when they said something that hurt your little feelings? Probably! I hope to hear of the day you get the breath beat out of you rotting in jail sucking off our Tax Dollars! I hate you! Chicken s*** cowards.... Hmmmm did any of them serve their country? Right.... Tough guys? Nothing but Cobb Co Gangsta's who grew up in decent environment but want to fake like they are from the hood. Posers wouldn't last 5 min in the hood!