Rockdale Citizen

CONYERS -- The family of Dequavious Mapp has offered a reward of $25,000 for anyone providing information that will lead to a conviction in the Conyers teen's shooting death at a crowded house party in 2010.

The reward offer comes from Dequavious Mapp's mother, Sandra Mapp, who said she is upset that the case has not been resolved and angry over how the Rockdale County District Attorney's Office and Conyers Police Department have handled the investigation.

Murder charges are not being pursued at this time against James Wansley Edwards, one party-goer who was identified as firing a gun that night. Mapp said she disagreed with the district attorney and she is hearing the same from the parents of the two other shooting victims, who were wounded.

"I was under the impression from the district attorney that he had the consent of the other two parents, whose children were harmed," she said. "I would have never had dismissed those charges. Those children have the right to be vindicated as much as I have to be vindicated. We have enough circumstantial evidence to convict those boys who did the shooting with murder."

Mapp continued, "I have witnesses who have spoken with my attorney. They have the same information as the police, but they're not doing anything. Hopefully, this flyer will generate enough interest and put it back in memory of the children, so someone who actually saw them, saw the shots fired, that it will produce enough light."

In November, Rockdale County District Attorney Richard Read notified the county grand jury that his office would not pursue murder charges against Edwards, who was identified as firing a handgun at the house party on Nov. 14, 2010, where Dequavious Mapp was shot dead and two other teens were wounded.

Read said he did not know about Mapp's reward offer, but said he hoped it would bring new information to the case that he said has been as frustrating for his office as it has been for the victims' families.

Read declined comment on specifics of the case and referred to his filing with the grand jury.

The filing gives a time line of the events investigators believe to have occurred at the house on Tree Leaf Lane on the night of the shootings.

The gathering started out as a teen's birthday party but soon turned into a larger event with a DJ, $3 admission and individuals designated as security. The party was promoted on Facebook and at its peak witnesses estimated up to 300 individuals attended the party, according to the court filing.

A fight between rival gangs occurred inside the house that started confusion at the party as people were pushed to the back of the house. Gun fire was heard coming from outside the house. However, few party-goers said they were outside and "even fewer witnessed anyone with a gun, guns being fired or can identify a shooter or shooters," the court filing stated.

The court filing notes that Conyers Police and the District Attorney's Office have investigated the crime thoroughly and are unable to present evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Edwards caused Dequavious Mapp's death.

Read also noted in the filings that his office faces a "double jeopardy concern." That means if Edwards is prosecuted for aggravated assault and firearm charges now, the District Attorney's Office would be barred from pursuing murder charges if evidence comes to light implicating him in the murder.

Edwards was released from custody after spending more than a year in the county jail. Read wrote in the filings that Edwards does remain a person of interest in the case.

"The State of Georgia cannot constitutionally hold Edwards in jail forever without bringing formal charges," Read wrote in the filing. "Therefore, the State of Georgia dismisses the above-listed charges against Edwards."

Mapp, who lost another son in 2009 during an armed robbery in DeKalb County, said she will continue to search for those responsible for her son's death. Mapp said she also has a civil suit against the city of Conyers for failure to stop the party earlier.

"My son was there five minutes. He really wasn't there five minutes before he lost his life. Five minutes," she said.