VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - A Lowndes County case is headed to the state’s highest court. This comes after a jury found a 20-year-old man guilty in the shooting death of an 18-year-old in 2020.

Family members say Travis Graham, Jr. was a 20-year-old homeowner, student, and business owner before he was sentenced to life plus 5 years in January 2023.

Mary Graham, Graham’s Grandma, said, “As long as there is a God...justice will be served for my grandson. He will be coming home one day.”

Graham was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm charge.

This sentence came after 30 people showed up to his home after a 4th of July party in 2020, which started a fight that police say Graham was involved in. 18-year-old Jeffery Franklin was shot and killed that night.

Fallon Harris, Graham’s mother believes her son’s attorney Converse Bright was ineffective during the trial, which is why they asked for an appeal in January 2025.

“The neighbors were out they agreed hey my son did not shoot him. Yes someone did shoot him, do we know who? Yes, we do. We do and so did the lawyer at the time. He knew who had the gun last,” Harris said. “He lost hearing at the time of trial. He heard nothing, that’s an insufficient lawyer. And this last trial when we brought him up for insufficient lawyer he stated he does not hear well.”

After several calls and leaving messages, Monday, April 7, WALB’s Brittanye Blake went to the office of Attorney Converse Bright. During a phone call, Bright told WALB he couldn’t comment due to attorney/client privilege, but he did confirm that Graham is no longer his client.

Harris has now hired Brian Steele, who was lead counsel in the state’s longest criminal trial involving rapper Jeffery “Young Thug” Williams.

“I’m ready. I’m not just fighting for him, I’m fighting for everybody. It’s time to make a change in Valdosta, Georgia. It’s time for things to stop being hidden in Valdosta Georgia,” she said.

The Lowndes County court told WALB that Graham’s case is on appeal and is being sent to the Supreme Court of Georgia.

WALB has reached out to the family of 18-year-old Jeffery Franklin to get their reaction to the appeal and we are waiting to hear back from them.

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