Local man convicted in 2019 murder of U.S. Marine

Two years ago, a simple weekend trip for one U.S. Marine led to a deadly shooting in Perry. Jury selection and trial for this case began Monday, June 21.

On April 28, 2019, 20-year-old U.S. Marine Anahitdeep Singh Sandhu of Buford, South Carolina, lost his life at the Kings Villas Apartments in Perry. Sandhu was found in front of one apartment building with multiple gunshot wounds and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital emergency room. Perry Police said that Sandhu was shot and killed during a botched robbery outside the apartments where they believe the Marine was armed when held at gunpoint. Authorities determined that he was shot when he reached for his weapon.

Two days later, on April 30, police arrested Quavion Rountree, who at the time was 25 years old. The next day, a second suspect, Delvin Ross, was also taken into custody in connection to the homicide. Police say Sandhu was a Private with the United State Marine Corp. He was stationed in Beaufort, South Carolina, and was simply visiting a friend at the Kings Villas apartments when his life was abruptly ended in the senseless shooting.

A total of 43 different photos of the apartment at Kings Villas where the crime occurred along with bullet casing found on the scene were presented as evidence at Rountree’s trial.

Witnesses against Rountree at the trial included officers who worked with the Perry Police Department at the time of the incident as well as Ross, the man taken into custody the day after Rountree for the part he played in the murder of Sandhu. Those who worked with PPD provided their account regarding the layout of the apartment as well as other physical evidence related to the crime scene.

Other witnesses associated with Sandhu, who are all reported to be from the Perry/Houston County area, shared information on how, earlier on the day of the shooting, Sandhu had purchased a 9mm pistol. Sandhu and the witnesses drove out into the country after Sandhu mentioned he wanted to take some test shots with his new pistol. Once they were finished with their outing, the group returned to Perry’s city limits at the Kings Villas Apartments.

As a part of their testimonies, witnesses admitted to using drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and lean, a codeine-based cough syrup. Ross, in his witness testimony stated that Sandhu never reached for his gun before Rountree shot at him.

According to reports from the courtroom, an exchange during the trial between Rountree and Assistant District Attorney Don Kelly went as follows:

Kelly: “You had chambered a round in the gun.”

Rountree: “Yes sir.”

Kelly: “You pointed it at him.”

Rountree: “No, I never pointed it at him.”

Kelly: “You never pointed it at him?

Rountree: “No, I never pointed it at him.”

Kelly: “You shot him three times, right?

Rountree: “Yes, I did. After he pulled his.”

Kelly: “How about when he put his hands up?

Rountree: “He never put his hands up.”

Kelly: “So, everybody that said that is lying also?”

Rountree: “Yes sir.”

Rountree was convicted on Wednesday, June 23 on charges of felony murder, malice murder and aggravated assault. According to Houston County’s Assistant District Attorney, Rountree could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

HHJ News