Young accused killer of 6-month-old in NW Atlanta in and out of jail for years

ATLANTA - It was the murder that shocked the city's conscience. Six-month-old Grayson Fleming-Gray was shot and killed while sitting in his mom’s child seat.     

Dequasie Little stands accused of shooting and killing Grayson during a gun fight while driving down a nearby street. 

The FOX 5 I-Team investigated the criminal history of Dequasie Little and finds a young man who was in and out of jail for years up until the day of the murder. 

In December 2018, Atlanta police responded to a complaint that Dequasie Little physically attacked his sister and his girlfriend.  

When Atlanta police arrested Little, turns out he was wanted for crimes in two middle Georgia counties. Little was eventually released on bond. 

April 2019, just four months later police arrested Dequasie Little again. This time police charged Little with the aggravated assault and choking of another girlfriend. 

In a crime ridden city, Dequasie Little’s criminal cases were barely noticed. Until, this January when Little was linked to a murder that shocked a city’s conscience.

Kerri Gray was pulling into a Food Mart in SW Atlanta when she heard a gunshot. Her 6-month-old was in the backseat. Drivers in two cars flying by were exchanging gunshots.

"It hit the trunk. There was no shattered glass, there was no crying," Gray told FOX 5.

Her six-month-old son was slumped over in his baby seat. Grayson Matthew was dead.

"He has a beautiful smile, he had a beautiful heart, he was very smart," Gray told us.

She immediately called 911 and told the dispatcher people were driving by and shooting guns and had killed her baby. 

Kerri Gray’s 911 call struck a nerve inside Atlanta police headquarters and kicked off an exhaustive manhunt for the shooter. Within 24 hours police felt they had their man: Dequasie Little. 

Dequasie Little’s murder arrest ended a four and a half series of year crimes, spanning four counties, involving at least six arrests, seven victims, two convictions, and now a murder charge. It is a pattern that has veteran prosecutors like Pete Skandalakis shaking their heads.

"I think citizens should be concerned that is not what they expect the court system to do," said the head of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council. 

In July 2019, Dequasie Little pled guilty in Fulton County to the aggravated assault and strangulation of this woman. With outstanding charges in Fulton, Peach and Houston counties, a judge gave Little first offender status and sentenced him to five years probation. No jail time. 

Two months later, Little stood before a Houston County judge and pled guilty to simple battery and cruelty to children. Again he was given probation. This time 12 months. A Houston County prosecutor said they didn't know Little had just pled guilty to a violent crime in Fulton County. She said they ran a criminal history on Little back when he was arrested, but not at the end when he agreed to plead guilty.

"Should it have happened? No," said Skandalakis  

Pete Skandalakis of the Prosecuting Attorney's Council said any judge needs to know all of a defendant's record to make the best decision.

"There is nothing more tragic than seeing a young child killed But when you see something like this and go behind the scenes and try to figure out why this happened, how it happened, and should it have happened. That’s the problem. And, it’s heartbreaking," said Skandalakis.  

While on probation, Little was in trouble again - in yet another county. June 2020, Clayton County Sheriff's Office arrested him for allegedly giving a false identity during a traffic stop. Turns out he was also wanted in Houston County for violating his probation. Houston county didn't pick him up "due to the distance."

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis took over after Little's earlier arrests in Fulton, Houston and Peach counties. She will now prosecute Dequasie Little for domestic violence and murder.

"To mourn for this child is an absolute fair response. To be disgusted that he had contact with law enforcement and he was not…that is a fair response," said Willis

Following the Clayton County arrest, along with Dequasie Little failing to abide with other probation requirements, Fulton County filed a motion to revoke Dequasie Little's probation and send him back to jail. But, Fulton County Magistrate Brandy Brooks only revoked Little’s probation for 30 days. Since he had served 30 days in jail following his Clayton County arrest, he was free to go. 

"So a judge ruled against us. (Is, is…) Is that frustrating to a prosecutor. Everyone in the nation," said Willis

"The public expects us to keep people who continuously violate the law off the streets," Skandalakis agreed.

But Dequasie Little was back on the streets. Three months after that probation revocation hearing, Grayson Fleming-Gray was gunned down   

And Dequasie Little is back in jail. Now facing a charge of murder.

(What's the worst part of it to you?) "That there's a little child that was killed by a person who should be in custody. Yeah, the system failed. I can’t make excuses for that. We need to be able to catch that," said Skandalakis.

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