Macon – A Macon man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday, a day after the two-year anniversary of his victim’s shooting death.
Robert Dewitt Cummings III, 57, pleaded guilty to malice murder during a hearing in Bibb County Superior Court. Cummings must serve at least 30 years before he can be considered for parole.
Jury selection for his trial was set to begin Tuesday morning.
If the case had gone to trial, prosecutor Jonathan Gordon would have presented evidence showing:
Oscar Eugene Freeman Jr., 49, of Macon, went to a house on Pansy Avenue to visit a friend on the afternoon of Feb. 4, 2017. Several other people were hanging out outdoors.
A witness saw Cummings approach Freeman at about 4 p.m. and then saw the men arguing. Cummings and Freeman grabbed eachother’s shirt as the argument became more heated and before a witness stepped in to separate them.
Cummings remarked, “No one is ever going to put their hands on me again,” before he started walking down the street toward his car.
A witness soon saw Cummings walking back toward the house while holding a gun. Cummings fired a shot down the street without aiming.
When Cummings got within a few feet of Freeman he smiled and fired a second shot that struck Freeman in the face.
Cummings casually walked back to his car and made a phone call before driving away. Freeman died at the scene.
Speaking after the hearing, District Attorney David Cooke said, “I don’t know what made Mr. Cummings lose his temper, but it wasn’t worth taking a life. I hope this sentence gives Mr. Freeman’s family some measure of peace and closure.”
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Contact: Amy Leigh Womack
478-621-6179 (office)
478-319-2529 (cell)