Guilty on all counts: Chatham County man found guilty of murder in 2021 hotel shooting

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A Chatham County man has been convicted of murder following a jury trial this week tied to a 2021 fatal shooting.

A Chatham County jury found 31-year-old Martez Lamar Pinckney guilty on all charges in connection with the case.

Pinckney was convicted Wednesday in Superior Court Judge Tammy Stokes’ courtroom following a jury trial held last week.

He was found guilty of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The charges stem from the shooting death of 28-year-old Frankie Fernandez, of Simpsonville, South Carolina, on September 12th, 2021.

During the trial, jurors were presented with multiple pieces of evidence and exhibits, including a nearly five-minute-long 911 call, video of the defendant being arrested at the scene, aerial photos showing the distance between the defendant and the victim’s body, and a .40 caliber pistol investigators said belonged to Pinckney.

Additional evidence included city camera surveillance footage, crime scene photos, spent shell casings, an autopsy report and photos, and a recovered projectile from the Fernandez’s body.

According to original reporting, the Savannah Police Department responded to a shooting at the Suburban Extended Stay on Abercorn Street around 3:40 p.m. that day.

Fernandez later died from his injuries. Police say Pinckney was detained at the scene, and the Criminal Investigations Division led the investigation.

Pinckney is a convicted felon and had previously served two years and eight months in prison for burglary and theft by taking out of Chatham County.

Fernandez is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.

Pinckney is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Stokes on April 17th.