A Greensboro, North Carolina man has been sentenced to life in prison following his conviction for the murder of his roommate and co-worker. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the jury's decision on Thursday, July 18.
Cedric Collins, 25, was found guilty of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in connection with the death of James Broadnax, 35. The incident occurred on October 20, 2023. Senior Judge Daniel Coursey presided over the trial and sentenced Collins to life imprisonment plus five years.
The investigation revealed that officers from the DeKalb County Police Department responded to multiple 911 calls around 8:30 p.m. regarding a shooting in the 3100 block of Westwood Drive. Upon arrival, they encountered a witness who reported that his friend had been shot. Officers discovered Broadnax unresponsive in the front passenger seat of a burgundy Dodge Charger with several bullet holes in its driver’s side window and door.
First responders had to break into the locked vehicle to extricate Broadnax, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Sixteen shell casings were recovered from the site.
Witness statements indicated that both Broadnax and Collins lived together with two other men on Westwood Drive and worked for an appliance company moving washers and dryers. An argument between Broadnax and Collins led to both men leaving their residence separately—Collins in a box truck and Broadnax in his car.
While investigators were still at the scene, Collins returned home in the box truck and was taken into custody by officers. During police questioning, Collins claimed he shot Broadnax in self-defense because he believed Broadnax was following him. However, Collins did not assert that Broadnax had a weapon or posed any deadly threat.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) tested the firearm used by Collins and confirmed it matched bullets recovered from Broadnax's body. Experts also determined that Collins had emptied an entire magazine during the shooting as no weapon was found on or near Broadnax.
The case was handled by Senior Assistant District Attorney Kara Roberts with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Connor Payne and District Attorney Investigator J.B. Williams. Detective C. Williams led the initial investigation for DeKalb County Police Department.