Dickey v. State

── Dickey 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. S26A0046 Stephan Blake Dickey v. The State On Appeal from the Superior Court of Fannin County No. 2019-R-13 Decided: May 5, 2026 ELLINGTON, Justice. Stephan Blake Dickey appeals his convictions for malice murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting death of Justin McKinney and the non-fatal shooting of Anna Franklin. 1 1 The crimes occurred on December 4, 2018. On February 21, 2019, a Fannin County grand jury indicted Dickey, Hunter Nicholas Hill, Dalton Levi Manuel, Kevin Jack Chamaty, and Michael Chase Havard for malice murder, felony murder, criminal attempt to commit malice murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, five counts of aggravated assault, one count of ag- gravated battery, two counts of home invasion in the first degree, and one count each of burglary in the first degree and violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”) Act, OCGA § 16-14-4 (c). Dickey, Hill, and Manuel were also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and Chamaty and Havard were charged with the offense of tam- pering with evidence. Hill was tried separately and was convicted of malice murder and other crimes, and we affirmed his convictions on appeal. See Hill v. State, 322 Ga. 700 (2025). Manuel, Chamaty, and Havard entered guilty pleas. Id. at 700 n.1. After a jury trial that ended on May 5, 2022, Dickey was found guilty on all counts. On May 12, 2022, Dickey was sentenced to serve life in prison Dickey contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress his confession. For the reasons explained below, we affirm. As summarized below, the evidence presented at trial showed that Dickey joined co-indictee Hunter Nicholas Hill and several other friends in planning to rob and murder both McKin- ney and McKinney’s longtime girlfriend, Franklin, and that Dickey went with the others to the victims’ house, where he shot and killed McKinney, and co-indictee Dalton Levi Manuel shot Franklin. Dickey later confessed to shooting McKinney. Hill and Manuel did not testify at Dickey’s trial, but two co-indictees, Kevin Jack Chamaty and Michael Chase Havard, and another friend, Lakota Ricky Cloer, gave detailed testimony about the plan and each person’s role in carrying out that plan. Franklin testified that Dickey and Hill were present during the shooting. Before midnight on the evening of December 3, 2018, the six friends discussed a plan to rob and kill McKinney and Frank- lin, and four of them decided to carry out the plan. Chamaty and Havard did not go to the victims’ house and went to a local Walmart instead. Cloer drove Dickey, Hill, and Manuel—who were 15 years old at the time—to the victims’ house. Cloer testi- for malice murder, consecutive prison terms of 20 years for attempted murder and