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On the night of Dec. 12, 2014, Phillip Copeland, 29, was standing in the lobby of the apartment complex. At approximately 9:54 p.m. Jlynn Reeves entered the lobby and, according to surveillance camera footage, the two engaged in a heated exchange, the district attorney said.
The two men then walked out of camera view toward a stairwell that led to the building's basement. Shortly after, a security guard heard gunshots and called 911. Copeland is then seen walking back into the building, the district attorney said.
At approximately 11:29 p.m., Copeland exited a first-floor apartment and was stopped by authorities who recognized him from the surveillance footage. Authorities searched Copeland and found a .380 caliber automatic pistol that was later determined to be the murder weapon by ballistic analysis, the district attorney said.
Copeland will be sentenced on Sept.15 and faces a maximum of life in prison, the district attorney said.
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