Sun Jun 22 11:50:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

A Bibb County jury acquitted Jeffery Hunter Jr. of all charges in the 2018 murder of Danny Causey. Co-defendant Kaylen Johnson was acquitted of murder but convicted of three counts of aggravated assault and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The case, initially believed to be a drug deal gone wrong, saw conflicting testimonies and alibis. Hunter’s attorney argued his client was not at the scene. Johnson testified to shooting Causey in self-defense. The acquittal is the second and third for the Bibb County District Attorney’s office this week, which is reportedly understaffed and facing scrutiny regarding its trial record.

**News Article:**

**Hunter Acquitted in 2018 Raffield Tire Shooting, Co-Defendant Sentenced for Assault**

**MACON, GA – June 22, 2025** – Jeffery Hunter Jr. walked free Tuesday after a Bibb County jury acquitted him of all charges in connection to the 2018 shooting death of Danny Causey behind Raffield Tire on MLK Drive. His co-defendant, Kaylen Johnson, was found not guilty of murder but convicted on three counts of aggravated assault and sentenced by Judge Connie Williford to 25 years in prison.

The case, which unfolded on December 16, 2018, was initially investigated as a drug deal gone wrong. However, the trial saw conflicting testimonies and the emergence of a self-defense claim.

Hunter’s attorney, Travis Griffin, successfully argued that his client was not present at the scene, citing alibi witnesses and inconsistencies in the testimony of Terry Warren, who was also shot during the incident. Griffin suggested Warren may have been confused and identified a third individual, Jedarrius Meadows, who has already pleaded guilty to unrelated charges.

Johnson testified that he shot Causey in self-defense after Causey and Warren allegedly confronted him and Meadows and threatened them at gunpoint.

Johnson faces additional legal troubles, including a 2023 federal sentence for gang activity. He was also charged in connection with a separate 2018 armed robbery and two homicides, the outcomes of which remain unclear.

The acquittal represents the second and third of the week for the Bibb County District Attorney’s office, led by Anita Howard. Reports indicate the DA’s office is severely understaffed, with only 7 of the 21 allocated attorney positions filled. The DA’s office is facing criticism over its trial record, and an open records request regarding this record is currently under review by the attorney general.

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