Bulloch County man convicted of murder gets new trial after Georgia Supreme Court ruling

BULLOCH COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - A Bulloch County man serving a life sentence for the 2020 shooting death of his nephew will receive a new trial after the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed an appeals court ruling in the case.

Shannon Postell was convicted in 2022 of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, among four other charges in the death of Robert Keyjuan Lawson. Postell argued self-defense at trial, claiming Lawson pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him before Postell retrieved a gun and fired.

Evidence excluded at first trial

During the 2022 trial, Bulloch County Superior Court did not allow the defense to present evidence of Lawson’s criminal history, gang involvement, or character for violence. Postell said he was aware that Lawson was affiliated with the Bloods street gang, had spent time in a juvenile correctional facility, was responsible for three deaths, and had committed several robberies in which he stole guns.

Defense attorney Kimberly Copeland, of Kimberly L. Copeland & Associates, said that excluded evidence was central to establishing Postell’s state of mind and his reasonable fear of Lawson at the time of the shooting.

“Everybody knows this boy is dangerous,” Copeland said. “If he told you, ‘I’m gonna kill you,’ you better believe it, and so Mr. Postell rightfully defended himself and his mother.”

Copeland said Postell’s family contacted her after the conviction and that she pursued the retrial on the basis that the new evidence would support the self-defense claim.

“He left Postell no choice, and that weighs heavy on Postell that he killed his own nephew,” Copeland said.

What a retrial means for both sides

Local attorney Boone Phillips, of Phillips Carson & Phillips, said a retrial presents strategic considerations for both the prosecution and the defense.

“They’re going to be expecting him to testify the same certain way, so it provides the state a new opportunity to cross examine the accused,” Phillips said.

Phillips said the defense also stands to benefit.

“But it also provides the defendant the ability to develop their theory of the case more, develop their line of questioning more,” he said.

Prosecution response

The Bulloch County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case again. A different prosecutor will be assigned, as the attorney who previously handled the matter is no longer with the office.

In a statement, the office said: “As we do with every case we prosecute, our office will approach this matter fairly, thoroughly, and with careful attention to the facts and the law.”

Postell’s current status

After the appeals court approved a new trial, Postell was released on a $25,000 bond. He was later arrested and is currently held in the Bulloch County Jail after violating the terms of his release by contacting his niece.