Atlanta man found guilty of 2020 murder of LaGrange man known as 'good citizen'

TROUP COUNTY, Ga. - A Troup County jury has found Charlestavius Dyer guilty of the 2020 murder of a LaGrange resident described as a "good citizen."

Witnesses say Dyer had come to LaGrange from Atlanta a few months before the murder in May of 2020 to try to establish himself as a drug dealer.

On the night of May 29, he got into an argument with 56-year-old Willie "June Bug" Render, Jr. because Render would not buy drugs from him.

According to witnesses at the trial, Dyer initially left the scene of the argument in a white car but returned about 5 minutes later, got out of the car, chased Render up the driveway, and then shot Render in the chest and back.

Police officers began lifesaving efforts at the scene, but Render was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a hospital.

An anonymous tip led police to Dyer. The murder weapon, a .45-caliber handgun, was found wrapped in a black plastic bag where Dyer was standing moments before his arrest. His fingerprints were found on the gun.

The jury deliberated for less than 2 hours after a week-long trial.

Render was known to the people in the community as a gentle man who was always smiling. He mowed people's yards and was a known peacemaker. Render's family attended the trial.

Prior to this murder, Dyer had been arrested over 32 times and convicted of 3 felonies despite being only 35 years old. Because Dyer is a recidivist, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sentencing was set for Feb. 5 by Coweta Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Erica Tisinger, who presided over the trial.