SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::
Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Marie Broder has notified the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) of her intent to request an investigation of Griffin Police Department Sgt. D’Marquivius “D.J.” King.
Broder’s request to the GBI is the result of an investigation conducted by The GRIP, which reported that King was reprimanded for concealing the alleged involvement of Damon Beck, his brother, in the May 9, 2021, murder of Javarreis Reid.
“What we’re asking is that they investigate this situation relevant to the letter of reprimand that you provided to us alleging this conduct by Investigator King,” Chief Assistant District Attorney David Studdard told The GRIP. “So, it’s certainly not a blanket investigation. We’re specifically asking that this particular incident be looked at by the GBI.”
The written reprimand Studdard referenced was recorded Nov. 30, 2021, in the Griffin Police Department’s Guardian Tracking system.
“On May 9, 2021 Investigator King was responsible for the investigation of the murder of Javarreis Reid. It was determined during the investigation that Investigator King’s brother Damon Beck is involved in the murder. Investigator King failed to notify his chain of command of the conflict of interest and did not list Damon Beck as a suspect on any documentation,” the reprimand stated.
Griffin Police Department officials did not report King’s misconduct in the murder investigation or that reprimand to the District Attorney’s Office.
Arrest warrants for murder and aggravated assault were obtained for Beck, Isaiah Trice and Shantavia Godfrey nearly eight months later, in July 2022.
Godfrey was arrested that same month.
Trice remains at-large.
The Griffin Police Department arrested Beck Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, the same day The GRIP published the first article in its investigative series of this case.
The GRIP’s first two articles in this series can be read here:
https://the-grip.net/2023/02/16/griffin-pd-officer-covered-up-murder-by-concealing-his-brothers-alleged-involvement/
https://the-grip.net/2023/02/16/damon-beck-griffin-police-officers-brother-apprehended-for-2021-murder/
Publisher’s note – The GRIP will continue to cover this developing story and report additional information as it becomes available.
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