Cartravious Collins, now 18, gave written notice of appeal after the sentence was handed down, through his attorney Clarence Dortch.
Collins was charged with the murder of Chelsei Embry, the attempted murder of LaToya Monique Embry, and assault in the second degree of Jalysa and Kaylon Embry. After deliberating until almost midnight, the jury convicted him for the lesser included counts of manslaughter and assault in the first degree in the first two cases and assault in the second degree on the other two.
Hollingsworth sentenced Collins to 16 years in prison for the manslaughter conviction and 12 years, 10 years and 10 years on the assault charges. The last three sentences will run concurrently with each other and consecutive to the 16 year sentence.
At trial, the defense argued that Collins was acting to defend his 16-year-old sister Greticia “Woochie” Collins, who was fighting with at least one of the victims. In the defense’s version, attackers were “swarming like ants,” punching, kicking and beating her with beer bottles. The state’s witnesses testified that Kaylon Embry and Greticia Collins had been fighting and that Kendra “Precious” Garrett and Jalysa Embry got into a separate fight when Garrett tried to intervene. All sides agreed that Collins did fire warning shots.
In addition to prison time, Collins will also have to pay $5,000 to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund and a total of $3,314 plus an undetermined amount to Baptist Health Systems for the three surviving victims.
Talladega County District Attorney Steve Giddens said he felt “it’s a good sentence. This situation was just bad all the way around, but we had a very conscientious jury that took they time they needed to sort through what happened that night. I’m happy with it, and so is the victim’s family.”
Also in court this week:
• Circuit Judge Julian King sentenced Charles Edward Hardin Jr., 48, to five years for attempting to possess a controlled substance.
• King sentenced Yashica Cook, 30, to 13 months, suspended, 36 months probation for theft of property in the second degree.
• King sentenced Rodney K. Adkins, 45, to 15 years, reverse split, 18 months probation, 12 months to serve.
• King sentenced Jeremy DeLoach to three years in prison for burglary in the third degree.
• King sentenced Samantha Gamel, 29, to five years and six years on two counts of manufacture of a controlled substance in the second degree. A charge of possession of drug paraphernalia was dismissed. Gamel’s husband, Christopher Michael Gamel, 34, was sentenced to concurrent 10 year and four sentences for manufacture of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.
• King sentenced Mark Jackson, 45, to 36 months, reverse split, 18 months probation and nine months to serve for possession of a controlled substance.
• King sentenced Albert L. Johnson, 23, to 48 months in prison for possession of a controlled substance.
• King sentenced Nick Brown, 20, to 36 months for manufacture of a controlled substance in the second degree.
• King sentenced Evan Carmichael, 20, to 60 months for distribution of a controlled substance, concurrent with two 267-day jail sentences for distribution of an imitation controlled substance. Carmichael was selling fake powder cocaine, according to Giddens.
• King sentenced Candi Elaine Griffin, 29, to eight concurrent 30-month sentences for fraudulent use of a credit card.
• King sentenced Johnny Ray Hargrove, 34, to concurrent 10 year and four year sentences for manufacture of a controlled substance in the first degree and possession of a controlled substance.
• King sentenced Donnie Hugh Murphy Jr., 57, to two concurrent 15 year sentences for manufacture of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.
• Hollingsworth sentenced Willard Charles Sims Jr., 43, to five years, reverse split, 3 three years probation, 18 months to serve, for possession of a controlled substance.
• Hollingsworth sentenced April Dawn Gable, 32, to five years in prison for manufacture of a controlled substance in the second degree.
• Hollingsworth sentenced Michael Leo Jones, 36, to 10 years in prison for manufacture of a controlled substance in the first degree.
• Hollingsworth sentenced Tina Michelle McGarrity, 31, to two concurrent 48-month sentences for two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.
• Hollingsworth sentenced Frederick P. Cole, 53, to concurrent 60-month sentences on two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.
Hollingsworth sentenced Ricky Dean Jones, 41, to concurrent 10-year and four-year sentences for manufacture of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance, respectively.
• Hollingsworth sentenced Matthew Bishop, 30, to concurrent 10-year prison sentences for two counts of manufacture of a controlled substance in the first degree.
