Teen accused in Social Circle double homicide turns 17, moved to adult jail

Kinteria Kiatis Durden, of Social Circle, 17, had a preliminary hearing in Walton County Magistrate’s Court Thursday in connection with the double homicide last month in the Social Circle area of Walton County. He also got to celebrate his birthday Friday in a new location.

“The evidence was presented and the case was bound over.  Judge Ozburn previously ordered that he is to be moved to our jail today as he turns 17 today,” said Alcovy Circuit Court District Attorney Layla Zon. At a hearing earlier in the month, Superior Court Judge Samuel Ozburn had turned down a request for bond by Durden’s appointed attorney, John Snyder, and ordered that he be moved to the adult jail as soon as he turned 17. Snyder had asked that he be allowed to remain in a youth detention center, but Ozburn had rejected that appeal.

Durden is being charged as an adult and faces two counts each of felony murder and aggravated assault in the May 22, 2017 shooting death of two men who traveled from Meriwether County to sell a dirt bike. Cortez White and Davoddren Harris were shot multiple times, “ambushed,” from the back seat of the vehicle, according to Zon. The murder was discovered when the vehicle they were traveling in wrecked just outside Social Circle and Walton County Fire Rescue crews found that the victims of the wreck had been shot. Information retrieved from one of the victim’s cell phones that was left in the car had correspondence between the men and Durden about the potential sale of the bike, which was missing from the wrecked vehicle. Durden had allegedly asked to be picked up from his home in Social Circle and taken to another location to get the money for the bike. He was later seen riding the bike in Social Circle and was subsequently arrested and charged in the murders.

Although at this time Durden is the only person charged in this case, Walton County Chief Deputy Keith Brooks said the investigation is ongoing. Despite a search of parts of the Alcovy River close to the scene, a murder weapon has not yet been discovered.

Zon said that case will be indicted on July 28 and Durden will likely be arraigned sometime in August.