TIFTON, Ga. (WALB) - A Tift County jury has found Ernest Alexander Branner guilty in connection to a 2021 deadly shooting in Tifton, according to the Tifton Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.

Officials said on May 14, 2026, Branner was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. On May 28, Superior Court Judge Melanie Cross sentenced Branner to life without the possibility of parole plus 10 years.

The charges stem from the August 21, 2021 shooting death of Adarius Dennard at an apartment on 6th Street in Tifton. Investigators said officers found Dennard suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Before losing consciousness, Dennard identified Branner as the shooter, telling officers he had been shot with an AR-15 rifle.

Authorities said Branner fled to Texas in a white van following the shooting. Law enforcement later located and arrested him in Little Elm, Texas. Investigators recovered multiple firearms from the van, including an AR-15 that was later matched through ballistics testing to evidence from the Tifton murder scene.

Prosecutors said the shooting stemmed from ongoing tensions and prior violent encounters between Branner and Dennard. During sentencing, Judge Cross also referenced Branner’s prior felony convictions, including a 2006 Tifton homicide and other firearm-related offenses.

District Attorney Patrick Warren praised investigators and prosecutors involved in the case, saying the conviction reflects the justice system’s commitment to holding violent offenders accountable.

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