WOMAN CONVICTED OF SHOOTING MAN OVER $30 FOR BEER
State v. Bianca Echols
Decatur, Ga.- DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces a conviction by jury trial in the case against a woman accused of shooting a man over $30 for a beer purchase.
Jurors returned guilty verdicts Thursday against Bianca Echols, 34, on charges of Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in connection with an incident that occurred on February 25, 2021 at Aspen Woods Apartments on Flat Shoals Road in unincorporated Decatur.
According to the investigation, Michael Wilder, now 41, was at a friend’s house. Defendant Echols, a stranger to Wilder, arrived with beer and demanded that Wilder give her $30 for the beer she provided. He refused. A short time later, Echols observed Wilder waiting outside for a rideshare vehicle, drove her car up to speak with him, and shot him several times as he was attempting to walk away. Defendant Echols fled the scene.
When officers from the DeKalb County Police Department arrived, they observed Wilder lying on his back with multiple gunshot wounds. Four .40 caliber shell casings were found near the victim. Wilder was transported to Atlanta Medical Center where he was treated for his injuries.
Investigators interviewed Wilder while he was in the hospital. He shared a detailed description of Defendant Echols, provided her social media account, and indicated she had shot him. Further investigation into that social media account revealed that Defendant Echols had attempted to sell a .40 caliber Glock handgun on social media a few hours after the shooting and was pictured with that same Glock the day of the shooting. The shell casings collected at the scene were later determined to have been fired from a .40 caliber Glock handgun.
Echols was taken into custody without incident.
DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Asha Jackson, who presided over the trial, sentenced Defendant Echols to 15 years to serve 10 in confinement with the balance on probation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Reid White with assistance from Senior ADA Kara Roberts, DA Investigator Jamall Carroll, DA Supervising Investigator Chris Wieseman, and Victim Advocate Ashley Snipes. DeKalb County Police Department Investigator R. Harris led the initial investigation.