Man gets life for killing disabled veteran | News

ATLANTA -- A 25-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering a veteran in northeast Atlanta.

Andre Juvell Byrd was convicted Friday on all counts, including murder, felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal attempt to commit armed robbery. A Fulton County Superior Court judge sentenced him to life plus five years in prison.

Byrd was one of three men who fatally shot 54-year-old David McReynolds on July 26, 2012. Prosecutors said McReynolds, a disabled veteran, was targeted after the killers noticed he was carrying a large amount of cash.

McReynolds was cornered in the 700 block of Hill Street after he left a neighborhood store. Byrd and two accomplices demanded McReynolds' cash and belongings. After a short struggle, the victim was shot in the chest.

Prosecutors said Byrd was caught on camera inside the store moments before the shooting and was later identified in a photo line-up.

Trial is pending for Byrd's co-defendants, Dedrick Hale and Quinterious Hogans.

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