Local & State Headlines

Albany Mall murder trial dates set

• A suspect in a shooting at the Albany Mall says the victim tried to rob him at knife point, court documents show.

J.D. Sumner

ALBANY — The man accused of killing a man at the Albany Mall last year is scheduled to stand trial Sept. 3, court records show.

Quantravious Lanier Upshaw, who was 24 at the time of his arrest, is facing a wide range of charges including murder and aggravated assault in the shooting death of Terence Bowen in the breeze way of the J.C. Penney’s store May 10, 2007.

Indicted in August 2007, Upshaw has been accused of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained that he was simply defending himself from Bowen, whom he said pulled a knife on him in an apparent robbery attempt.

Earlier this week, trial notices were sent by the court scheduling the start of the proceedings for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 3 at the Dougherty County Courthouse.

In other developments, the Dougherty District Attorney’s office has subpoenaed medical records from the Dougherty County Emergency Medical Service in reference to Bowen, court documents show.

The subpoena requires Dougherty EMS’ records custodian Carol White to produce a myriad of documents and records including emergency room and admitting records, progress reports, nurse notes, discharge summary, his medical and examination history, the results of HIV/AIDS testing and mental evaluations, according to court records.

Upshaw was arrested by an off-duty police officer at the Westover Express Car Wash, after she spotted him running through the mall parking lot.

Officer Brandi Chester wrote in her report that she saw a man running through the parking lot just before a radio call went out alerting officers that a shooting had been reported at the mall.

After making contact with the man, who was later identified as Upshaw, Chester wrote that he told her that he had just shot a man that tried to rob him, according to police reports.