Authorities say they are searching for a man convicted of murder who fled during his trial

DECATUR, Ga. — Authorities were searching Wednesday for a man who jumped bail during his trial but was still convicted of shooting a transgender woman in Georgia.

The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office said Davonte Fore and Jaquan Brooks were found guilty in the death of Skyler Gilmore on June 4, 2021, in her apartment in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Prosecutors said DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Nora Polk released Fore, 26, on bail pending trial in February, despite their objections. Although he was present at the beginning of the trial, Fore fled before its conclusion and is now considered a fugitive. An arrest warrant was issued following his arrest.

The jury still found him and Brooks, 25, guilty of malice murder, two counts of murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

“That’s why our office works hard to get bail denied in these cases, but it’s not our decision to grant bail,” Jacques Spencer, an investigator with the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, told WAGA-TV.

Brooks is in custody.

During the investigation, detectives learned that Fore and Brooks were members of a local gang that ordered them to kill Gilmore, 25, after it was discovered she was affiliated with another gang member, the district attorney’s office said in a news release.

Detectives used phone records and surveillance footage to link Fore and Brooks to the crime.

“Our goal is to place him in custody. We believe he is a danger to society and the victim’s family deserves to face him in court when he is sentenced for what he did,” Spencer said.

The victim’s father, Chauncey Gilmore, told the television station he was grateful for the verdict.

“I have peace of mind and I will have a lot more peace of mind when they catch this guy too,” he said.

Anyone with information on Fore’s whereabouts is asked to contact the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

Meanwhile, no verdict has been issued in the case of both men. Polk said she would schedule a trial for both defendants in the coming weeks.