Alabama Middle School Assistant Principal Arrested in Georgia Cold-Case Triple Murder
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. – An Alabama middle school assistant principal sat before a judge in handcuffs on Thursday for a hearing connected to a decade-old triple murder in Clayton County. Keante Harris, 45, was arrested and charged with three counts of malice murder last week.
Assistant Principal Charged in Triple Murder
An Alabama middle school assistant principal is one of four men accused of luring three victims to a home in Clayton County and then leaving their bodies in a car over a decade ago. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office says 33-year-old Quinones King and 43-year-old Rodney Cottrell were found dead from asphyxiation in the back seat, and 32-year-old Cheryl Colquitt-Thompson was found dead in the trunk from strangulation.
Investigators determined the three victims were lured to a home on Magnolia Drive in Jonesboro where they were held at gunpoint. The trio was tortured and killed, investigators say. They were later put into the vehicle and taken to Fulton County, where the vehicle was dumped.
The case remained a mystery for more than a decade until Clayton County police issued warrants for the arrest of Keante Harris and three others, identified as Kenneth Thompson, Kevin Harris and Darrell Harris. It is unclear whether the three Harrises are related.
Keante Harris in Court
WBMA-TV reported that Keonte Harris is an assistant principal at McAdory Middle School in Jefferson County, Alabama. The school district said he was placed on administrative leave following his arrest. “At this time we still are gathering facts about the specifics of this situation,” a spokesperson for the school district said. “However, early indications are that the charges are not related to this individual’s employment with Jefferson County Schools.”
Keonte Harris is expected to be extradited to Georgia between Friday and May 28. As of Friday morning, he remains listed as an inmate at the Jefferson County Jail.
Victims’ Families React
FOX 5’s Deidra Dukes spoke to King’s mother by phone. Thompson was her granddaughter. Colquitt said she never gave up hope the killers would be brought to justice. “It was hard. Can you imagine me sitting up half of the night, crying. I couldn’t understand how someone could take my children, my granddaughter, my son life,” Colquitt said.
Colquitt said she is grateful to Clayton County police investigators for their tireless efforts. “I just want to thank the lord, and thank them, for working hard after hours, over the hours to make this happen for our family.”
Conclusion
Four men were arrested in connection to the 2013 cold case triple murder in Clayton County. The arrest of Alabama middle school assistant principal Keante Harris sheds light on a heinous crime that remained unsolved for over a decade. The families of the victims express relief and gratitude as justice finally begins to unfold in this tragic case.