Hills v. State

── Hills v. State ── Court: Supreme Court of Georgia Date: May 05, 2026 Category: General NOTICE: This opinion is subject to modification resulting from motions for reconsideration under Supreme Court Rule 27, the Court’s reconsideration, and editorial revisions by the Reporter of Decisions. The version of the opinion published in the Advance Sheets for the Georgia Reports, designated as the “Final Copy,” will replace any prior version on the Court’s website and docket. A bound volume of the Georgia Reports will contain the final and official text of the opinion. In the Supreme Court of Georgia No. S26A0499 Eric Bernard Hills v. The State On Appeal from the Superior Court of Chatham County No. SPCR2103324J3 Decided: May 5, 2026 LAGRUA, Justice. Appellant Eric Bernard Hills appeals his convictions for malice murder and other crimes related to the shooting death of Branden Lewis. 1 On appeal, Hills argues that his convictions should be reversed because the trial court erred in denying his request to charge the jury on voluntary manslaughter. For the 1 Lewis was shot and killed on November 11, 2020. On July 22, 2021, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Hills for the following counts: malice murder (Count 1); felony murder predicated on aggravated assault (Count 2); aggravated assault (Count 3); and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (Count 4). Hills was tried from March 11 to 14, 2024, and the jury found him guilty on all counts. The trial court sentenced Hills to serve life in prison with the possibility of parole for Count 1 (malice murder) and five consecutive years for Count 4 (possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony). The remaining counts merged or were vacated by operation of law. Hills filed a timely motion for new trial, which he later amended through new counsel on November 12, 2024. After holding an evidentiary hearing on the motion for new trial, the trial court denied the motion on August 4, 2025. Hills timely filed a notice of appeal on August 22, 2025. The case was docketed in this Court to the term beginning in December 2025 and submitted for a decision on the briefs. reasons that follow, we affirm. The evidence presented at trial showed that, around 8:00 a.m. on the morning of November 11, 2020, Hills shot Lewis six times inside the house Lewis formerly shared with Destiney Lewis, his estranged wife, and their two children. Lewis died at the scene. 2 At the time of the shooting, Lewis and Destiney had been separated for several months, and Destiney—who was then 26 years old—was in a romantic relationship with Hills—who was 17 years old at the time. According to Destiney, Lewis knew of and was angry about the relationship, and he told Destiney she was “messing with a guy that was too young for [her]” and, if he “ever saw” Hills, he was “going to beat his a**.” On the night of November 10, 2020, Lewis stayed at Destiney’s house to take care of their children and to pack up the rest of his belongings. 3 That same night, unbeknownst to Lewis, Destiney and Hills stayed together in a hotel, and Destiney returned home early the next morning so Lewis could go to work. Before arriving at the house, Destiney told Hills—who was driving them in her car—to drop her off and then drive around until she contacted him, so Lewis would not see him. When Lewis left for work a short time later, Destiney texted Hills that the “coast was clear,” and Hills c