Markel Harper, a 29-year-old Black man, was in a car with a friend in his hometown of Albany, Georgia, when his life was abruptly ended. On the night of March 6, 2024, at approximately 11 p.m., Harper and 28-year-old Jaboris Terrell Cato were driving in the 1000 block of Radium Springs Road. Suddenly, another vehicle pulled alongside them and its occupants opened fire. Harper was struck by a bullet in the chest, and Cato was shot in the buttocks. Both men were transported to a local hospital, where Harper died from his injury. Cato survived his wounds.
The Albany Police Department’s investigation moved quickly. The day after the shooting, investigators located the vehicle believed to be involved, which led to the arrests of 30-year-old Jason Lamar Gaines and 16-year-old Janarrian Oliver. Both were charged with murder, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy.
A third man, 36-year-old Sir Robert Moss Jr., was also arrested and charged with tampering with evidence and obstruction.
As the investigation progressed, two more people were charged. Tytianna Isaac, initially accused of murder as a party to the crime, later had her charge reduced to misdemeanor obstruction for withholding information from police. In April 2024, a fifth suspect, 24-year-old Malik Frazier, was apprehended in a neighboring county and charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case took nearly two years to reach a courtroom. Prosecutors argued that the shooting was a targeted, gang-affiliated attack and that the defendants had been searching for Harper’s brother when they ambushed the vehicle. During the trial, charges against two of the five individuals who had been arrested were dismissed.
In March 2026, a Dougherty County jury returned guilty verdicts for the remaining three defendants. Jason Gaines, Malik Frazier, and Janarrian Oliver were all convicted of murder and related felony charges, including aggravated assault and tampering with evidence. The following month, in April 2026, a judge sentenced each of the three men to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus an additional five years.
