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2nd arrest made in murder of Manchester High School football player, GBI says

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Published  May 5, 2025 6:53am EDT
Georgia
FOX 5 Atlanta
article

Brandon Smith was found dead in 2023 behind a home in Manchester, Georgia. (Manchester High School)

The Brief

    • The GBI says it has made a second arrest in the 2023 murder of Manchester High School football player Brandon Smith.
    • Smith was last seen alive on Dec. 7, 2023. His body was found the next day behind a home in the city.
    • The GBI says that Smith was shot and killed during an argument the day he disappeared.

MANCHESTER COUNTY, Ga. - Authorities with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation say they've made another arrest in the 2023 deadly shooting of a Manchester High School football player.

Officials say 17-year-old Qua’vion Jakwon Cooper is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of Brandon Smith.

The backstory:

Smith was last seen alive on Dec. 7, 2023, according to the GBI. He was reported missing two days later. The next day, his body was found behind a home along 3rd Avenue in Manchester.

Investigators immediately suspected foul play was involved, and the Manchester Police Department asked the GBI to help them with the investigation. 

Smith was a student at Manchester High School and played on the defensive line of the school's football team.

Teammates from Manchester High School honor 17-year-old defensive line Brandon Smith, whose body was found the day prior to the state championship game, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 11, 2023.

Teammates from Manchester High School honor 17-year-old defensive line Brandon Smith, whose body was found the day prior to the state championship game, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 11, 2023. (FOX 5)

In a letter to students and parents, Meriwether Schools Superintendent Robert Griffin and Manchester High School Principal Suzie Neal said that they were "heartbroken" by the news.

The 17-year-old defensive lineman was remembered as a "loyal teammate and friend who excelled on and off the field."

Dig deeper:

Nearly a month after Smith's disappearance and death, GBI agents arrested and charged then-19-year-old A’darius Jashawn Williams.

Investigators say that Williams shot and killed Smith during an argument.

A'darius Jashawn Williams

Authorities now say that cooper "aided and abetted" Williams.

Cooper is now in custody at the Meriwether County Jail.

What you can do:

The investigation remains ongoing. 

Authorities are asking anyone with information that could help in the case to contact the GBI's regional investigative office in Columbus Field Office at (706) 565-7888 or send an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-597-8477.

GeorgiaCrime and Public SafetyNews