ATLANTA —
The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday affirmed the conviction of a man who shot and killed two others during an attempted robbery, leaving him serving a life sentence.
On September 10, 2017, Joshua O’Shea Routh killed two men while attempting to rob a southwest Atlanta grocery store.
Investigators previously told Channel 2’s Matt Johnson that surveillance video showed when Routh tried to rob Saiful Bhuyia and Rizanul Islam as they closed up shop at the grocery on Westview Drive.
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According to records from the Georgia Supreme Court, Routh was convicted of felony murder and related crimes but appealed the conviction, accusing the trial court of abusing its discretion by limiting cross-examination of the lead detective in the case.
Specifically, Routh’s attorneys argued in court that the detective was not allowed to discuss potential doubts about Routh’s development as a suspect, but the justices found that unfounded.
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At his trial, prosecutors presented evidence showing how Bhuyia, Islam and two others were closing up the grocery store Bhuyia co-owned when Routh arrived in a white car.
The car at first stopped and drove away but then came back and two men got out demanding money, according to court documents.
Bhuyia and Islam ran to Bhuyia’s car, records say, and the men from the white car chased them while the other two store employees hid in bushes nearby.
The workers told investigators they heard two shots then a big boom. After the attempted robbers left, the workers got out of the bushes and saw Bhuyia’s car crashed into the side of the building.
Bhuyia and Islam were both shot, with Bhuyia dead and Islam injured. He died a few days later, according to the court record.
After the incident, the community honored Bhuyia, holding a vigil. The store’s previous owner was also killed, stabbed to death in 2010, those at the vigil told Channel 2 Action News at the time.
The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed Routh’s conviction, saying that the trial court had not abused its discretion and Routh was unable to reasonably conclude otherwise.
He will remain in custody at Telfair State Prison, serving a life sentence.
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