A 75-year-old Georgia man, Stanley Nathaniel Elliott, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his neighbor, Anthony Collins, over a disagreement about walking dogs. Elliott was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in Gwinnett County.
Stanley Elliott Faces Life in Prison for Felony Murder
Elliott was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus an additional five years. The verdict comes after a jury convicted him of killing 44-year-old Anthony Collins in February 2021. Collins was out walking his Jack Russell puppies in the Riverside Parkway area of Lawrenceville, a northeastern suburb of Atlanta, when the tragic incident occurred.
Deadly Dispute Over Dogs
On February 25, 2021, Elliott approached Collins while he was walking his dogs. After a dispute, Elliott shot Collins fatally. Authorities responded to a call about the incident near the Meadow Trace neighborhood’s community pool and tennis courts, where they found Collins’ body in the parking lot.
This was not the first argument between Elliott and Collins regarding the dogs. In December 2020, Elliott had used a metal pole to try to beat Collins’ dogs. Witnesses testified about this earlier confrontation during the trial.
Surveillance Footage Leads to Arrest
Following the shooting, Gwinnett County police reviewed surveillance footage that helped identify Elliott as the shooter. The gun used in the killing was later found hidden in a motorboat in Elliott’s garage. Prosecutors presented the footage in court, showing a man resembling Elliott raising a firearm towards Collins, who was walking the dogs at the time.
Statement from Gwinnett County District Attorney
Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson condemned the violence, stating, “Violence – and especially deadly violence – is not the answer for solving any dispute.”
