In Manchester, Georgia, hometown favorite Manchester High School football star Brandon Smith, 17, was renowned for loyalty and grit as a defensive lineman. On Dec. 7, 2023, that was suddenly brought to an end when a violent act shattered the small town to its foundation. The tragedy was compounded when a fellow player on the Manchester Bulldogs, Qua’vion Jakwon Cooper, is accused of orchestrating the killing—three days later, playing a standout game for a championship game that was being played in Smith’s honor.
Things moved fast early in December of 2023. On Dec. 7, Brandon was last seen alive. Two days later, when he failed to come back, he was reported missing by the family, which raised alarm throughout the small close-knit town. On Dec. 10, law enforcement officers found a body at a residence on 3rd Avenue that belonged to Brandon, a half mile from Manchester High School.
On January 9, 2024, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) arrested 19-year-old A’darius Jashawn Williams, a former teammate, charging him with murder. Over a year later, on May 1, 2025, 17-year-old Qua’vion Jakwon Cooper, a senior and teammate, was arrested for his role in the killing. Williams was on May 7, 2025, sentenced to life with the potential for a 30-year parolable term, bringing an end to one chapter of this tragic case.
Investigators say the murder stemmed from a heated argument between Williams and Smith. Williams, believing Smith had disrespected him by taking a gun from him days earlier, ambushed Smith outside his home. Based on surveillance tapes, cell phone records, text messages, and witness testimony, the GBI verified that Williams pursued Smith and shot him. Ballistics at a different location from the gun they found confirmed the crime scene, confirming Williams’ culpability.
Cooper, who has been charged as a “party to the crime,” is said to have assisted Williams, although news of how he did so is still unclear with the investigation continuing. Being a “party to the crime” in Georgia signifies that he assisted with the plan or commission of the act but did not pull the trigger. Manchester was shocked when Cooper was arrested, particularly with what he had done after the murder happened.
On December 11, 2023, just one day after Smith’s body was found, Manchester High School’s Blue Devils took the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the Class A Division II state championship—their first in 26 years. The game was played in Smith’s honor. Players wore helmet decals with his jersey number, 52, and team captains, including Cooper, carried his jersey to the coin toss. Bowdon High School, their opponents, also honored Smith by displaying a jersey in their colors.
Cooper, a standout running back, rushed for 80 yards, scored a touchdown, and led the team with eight tackles. Despite their effort, Manchester lost 28-27 to Bowdon. The community rallied around the team, unaware that one of its star players was allegedly complicit in Smith’s death. “It’s cold-blooded,” one X post later read, capturing the public’s outrage when Cooper’s arrest was announced in 2025.
Brandon’s grandmother, Maxine Smith, who raised him, was devastated.
“They took my baby from me. My heart is broken,”
she told WSB-TV. She recalled how Brandon seemed troubled the night before he vanished, as if he wanted to share something. His sister, Janiyah, spoke of the void left by his absence, describing him as a kind soul who lived for family and football.
Meriwether County School District issued a statement of profound regret, terming it a
“difficult moment deep within” for the town. “Our thoughts are with Brandon’s family, friends, and teammates,”
said Superintendent Robert Griffin, underlining the stress on safety for students and counseling services for them. Town Manchester, the pride of which is the local high school football team, was torn apart by shock and betrayal as the arrests took place.
Williams’ guilty plea to malice murder brought some closure. His life sentence, with parole possible after 30 years, reflects the severity of his actions. Cooper, however, remains in Meriwether County Jail without bond, charged with murder as a party to the crime. The GBI continues to investigate, and prosecutors will decide if Cooper, a minor, will be tried as an adult—a common practice in Georgia for serious felonies.
The case’s complexity lies in its unanswered questions. Why did Cooper allegedly help Williams? How could he play in Smith’s honor so soon after the crime? The withheld arrest warrant leaves these details murky, but the GBI urges anyone with information to come forward.
