ATLANTA -- Two of five men who were accused of breaking into an Atlanta home have been convicted of murder after the homeowner jumped to his death trying to escape them.
According to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, 23-year-old Mark Spencer Jr. and 22-year-old Che Stafford were convicted of felony murder and burglary in the first degree for the Dec. 8, 2015 break-in where 51-year-old Jose Raman Greer ultimately died.
They, along with 23-year-old Frederick Clark forced their way into Greer's apartment on Oak Street in the West End. But, as they tried to pry the front door open, Greer stood ready to jump from his balcony.
With a phone in hand, Greer told a 911 operator that he was going to jump to get away from the men barging into his home. Moments later, he followed through.
The district attorney's office said Greer had enough life left in him to relay the same message to officers who arrived at the scene but he ended up dying the next morning from blunt-force injuries he sustained in the fall.
Even as Greer lay on the ground below, authorities said three of the intruders ransacked the home while 22-year-old Maxx Pritchett and 18-year-old Vas Coleman waited in a getaway car outside. The group allegedly ended up stealing several items including the victim's debit card and other identification.
Police, at the time, believed the men walked right by Greer as he was dying - and unable to move.
According to the district attorney's office, the same day Greer died, Stafford and Coleman were trying to sell off his belonging and used the victim's debit card to buy food at a local McDonald's.
The two have been sentenced to life in prison for their crimes. Pritchett, Clark and Coleman will face trial in Fulton County Superior Court - on the very same charges - at a later date.
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"I can't think of anything that would have made him a target there," said condo President Maurice Gunter, who knew Greer, a short time after learning of Greer's death.
He said Greer was very active with the condo's Toys for Tots program and gave out candy to neighborhood children for Halloween.
"He was a very friendly gentleman, very proactive in the community, a very positive person in the community," Gunter said.
