A man was sentenced to prison Friday in the 2022 DeKalb County fatal stabbing of an Atlanta pastor who was counseling him, officials said.
Christopher Devonta Griggs, 29, was found guilty of murder, aggravated assault, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, concealing the death of another, tampering with evidence and theft by taking. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 21 years, in the death of Marita Harrell, the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office said.
Rev. Harrell was a senior pastor at Connections at Metropolitan United Methodist Church. The 57-year-old wife and mother of two worked with people who were incarcerated or recently released from jail, DA spokeswoman Claire Chaffins confirmed.
She had met Griggs through another inmate at the Fulton County Jail in the fall of 2021. After Griggs was released from jail in the spring of 2022, Chaffins said he suggested they meet in person.
“Defendant Griggs would often call Harrell for counseling and to ask for financial support,” officials said.