Jury rejects ‘gay panic’ defense in murder of metro Atlanta teen

Jurors returned a guilty verdict late Tuesday against a man charged with killing a metro Atlanta teenager for “making a pass” at him. Marquavyian Gude, 19, was convicted on charges of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, theft by taking and weapons offenses in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Devontavius McClain of Griffin, Georgia.

McClain was last seen alive on April 20, 2013 when he left home to meet Gude in Atlanta. His decomposed body was found two months later, stuffed inside the trunk of his own vehicle which was abandoned in Northwest Atlanta.

Cell phone records linked Gude to McClain, and Gude was also seen driving McClain's vehicle shortly after the murder and using his debit card. The defendant tried to use the “gay panic” defense according to a press release issued today by Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard.

Gude confessed to murdering McClain, but claimed it was in self-defense because the victim made a pass at him. According to Defendant Gude, he met the victim online and believed he was meeting a female, not a male. Gude could not explain why, instead of leaving, he chose to ride around with the victim for several hours before killing him.

Gude was sentenced to life plus five years in prison.