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Man convicted of first-degree murder in bow-and-arrow killing

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Garrett Taylor Adams, Charles Briggs

LANCASTER – A 26-year-old Lancaster resident, who used a hunting bow and arrow to kill a man who tried to break up an argument between the killer and his girlfriend, was convicted Monday of first-degree murder.

Garrett Taylor Adams is set to be sentenced Friday for the Aug. 23, 2014, murder of 27-year-old Charles Briggs, also of Lancaster.

Adams was arguing with his girlfriend at a residence in the 43000 block of 27th Street West when his twin brother and Briggs arrived about 3:30 a.m. and tried to intervene, according to police.

The dispute spilled outside onto the sidewalk, where Adams armed himself with a hunting bow and arrow and shot Briggs once in the upper body, sheriff’s officials said shortly after the attack.

UPDATE: Garrett Adams was actually sentenced Aug. 24, 2017, to 26 years to life in state prison. Read our updated story here.

Previous related stories:

Man ordered to trial in Lancaster bow and arrow killing

Man pleads not guilty in Lancaster bow and arrow killing

Loved ones remember man slain with bow and arrow

Lancaster man charged with bow-and-arrow murder

Man killed in bow and arrow attack ID’d, suspect arrested

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29 comments for "Man convicted of first-degree murder in bow-and-arrow killing"

  2. sadly, we have reached the point in our society that being a Good Samaritan could cost you your life.

    my advice: if you see 2 people fighting and feel one of them is in danger, call 9-11 then videotape it from a safe distance until the coppers come.

    sad, but unless you want to die, this is what the world has become…

  3. … figure, a life sentence is, what? 50 years? Per jurisprudence, circa 1790, a black man roughly equivalent to 5/8ths a human being, that’s going to be, approximately, give or take, a 31 year stretch? Given time off, good behavior and such, getting in good with the prison guards, I figure this Garrett Adams character ought to be back to banging air-heads, bouncing on the mattress, in about 10 years? Positive case scenario, if he plays the Jesus card, eight?

    • First degree murder 25 years minimum plus using the bow and arrow 1 year minimum now add the felon mayhem and that carries a life sentence. Hopefully he will never be released to harm another innocent black man. He was a ticking time bomb and unfortunately exploded killing Charles. Any man who can chock his own girlfriend out multiple times then go on to kill all in the same evening deserves to locked away for life. He’s a danger to society.

  4. Surprised they are not trying to say he was a white suprematist and killed the man to earn his lightning bolts or something crazy like that

  5. Honestly his friends and family will try to convince themselves that he is still a good person but he intentionally murdered someone and not only that but it was someone who was a family friend and posed no real threat. Not only that but garret even stated that he “killed that [removed]” it’s in the police report. Sorry but not sorry, your son/cousin/nephew/brother is a PIECE OF [removed] murderer and the only person who deserves any type of defense is Charles, you know , the one who was murdered in cold blood. And yes I know all of those involved, I was good friends with his twin brother Cameron for years. It is what it is.

  6. … reporting white-on-black violence in the mainstream media, no problem, it’s okay. Any journalist is free to do that, anytime. The other way around, oh no-no-no you don’t, unwritten law against reporting black-on-white violence in the mainstream media, it’s going to take someone pretty high up to approve clearance for a report on a black-on-white incident –

      • Wow. Nice come back. The ignorance around here is almost palpable. Whoops, I forgot the level of intellect of AV people such as Marina. Let me help you out hon.

        Palpable – readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived, etc.; obvious; evident: a palpable lie; palpable absurdity.

        (Not like that will help her to understand or anything …)

  7. He is not a cold blooded murder. He may have made a mistake and will have to live with it for the rest of his life. Was it intentially? No. When someone is not in their right mind things happen and sadly a life was taken. If done on purpose it would be a complete different story. At the end of the day it’s all in gods hands.

    • OMG. did you even think about your logic before you hit “Post Comment”??
      “Was it intentionally? No.” What do you think the definition of intentional is? Here, I will help you out –
      in·ten·tion·al – adjective- done on purpose; deliberate
      I mean, are you really trying to say that he never intended to go back into his home and retrieve his weapon? And let me guess, he was walking and then what, he tripped? Maybe while trying to gain his balance, he drew the bow and shot his victim in the chest?? Wow. That’s a pretty unlucky guy! We better lock him up before he “accidentally” kills someone else! Smh

    • If Shooting a man 172 feet from his home in the middle of the street while he is backing up with his hands raised saying I’m leaving isn’t in cold blood I don’t know what is? They JURY saw this was done on purpose hence the first degree murder charge! You can defend your family member all you want but you and I both know Garrett Adams is a cold blooded murderer! And I can’t wait for him to come before God. He can’t lie his way out of the one man who knows all!

  8. Couples argue all the time. Sometimes(most of the time) it sounds ugly. Sometimes they resolve it and make the sweetest love ever and go about their lives together just to repeat the same cycle over again. In a weird way it’s like a functioning dysfunction… if that even makes sense to others. I wonder, what sparked the intervention?

  10. Your story is incomplete and inaccurate. The jury found my client guilty on one theory of murder, not guilty on another, and not guilty on all other counts including all the counts alleging domestic violence.

    The case and the fight for justice are not over.

    Steve Meister
    Defense Attorney for Garrett Adams

    • Way to defend a racist, good for nothing women beater. You cant lie to the people who know the truth. Dude couldn’t even keep the lights on in his place. The verdict should include a hate crime and both brothers should be locked up for trying to lie to cover things up. We know the truth, it’s a too common reality for the AV.

      • Well knowing that both brothers have many friends from different racial backgrounds should show that neither one of them was racist. Many people struggle financially but on that doesn’t make them a bad person. There was no hate crime involved. The man that sadly lost his life already knew both brothers so how would that be a hate crime? Hate crimes are a real thing but just because it was a white on black crime or a black on white crime doesn’t always make it a hate crime. Sometimes it’s just people making stupid decisions.

        • Garrett was racist! He used the N word on multiple occasions to describe Charles. Your client is a racist Murderer who just months prior attempted to murder another black man and then moved to full blown cold blooded murder. Thankfully he will be going to prison for a very long time so he can’t hurt any other innocent black young men. As for the family Hate breeds Hate. Charles came from a family who didn’t see a person for the color of their skin but the kindness in their hearts. Charles was the same. My white son will grow up without Charles….. who charles called his little brother. Zero color lines in the Briggs family.

    • It takes more than a heated moment to grab a bow, notch the arrow, aim and fire, at a ‘friend of the family’ no less.
      Hopefully your client gets some anger management training while in the clink.

    • Hahaha, wow!!! Some attorney you are to get on a public forum and make a comment! Charles deserves justice and your trying to get the man who shot him and ADMITTED so off of murder charges your a piece of [removed] too and deserve to burn in hell with him!!! Take a mans life the way he did is [removed] murder!!!

      • The choice of first degree premeditated murder vs first degree murder with felony mayhem….. the jury knew it was first degree murder they were just deliberating on the premeditation or mayhem charge. They knew he was guilty of murder there’s no question about that. Of course his attorney will do the usual ask for a new trial try to get him off but any jury member who appears on any jury in the future and hears of the facts in this case will see it was first in the first degree! He can file motions and ask for new trials all he wants….the verdict will still be the same.

    • how do you sleep at night whilst defending a cold-blooded murderer? be glad that this is his only karma thus far

    • Your client is a POS murderer! He took the life of an innocent man! Your a POS too for defending him. I hope you both rot in hell.