A June 1, 2014 gathering at a home in Wilkes County, Georgia where beer and other items were sold ended in the death of James Edwards. During the confrontation Gartrell fatally wounded Edwards.

Gartrell was arrested and indicted by a Wilkes County grand jury on August 10, 2015 on charges including murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. His trial ran November 14–16, 2016; the jury acquitted him of malice murder but convicted him on the remaining counts. He received life without the possibility of parole plus five years. The Supreme Court of Georgia later affirmed the convictions after an appeal claiming insufficient evidence.

If anyone was at that gathering or has information about what led to the confrontation, please share what is known.