Former Birmingham mayor Cooper Green’s grandson has been sentenced to life in Georgia jail for running over a woman

A Pelham man was found again guilty of killing a grandmother in Georgia when he rammed her car and then ran her over for no apparent reason.

Dewey Green, now 31, was initially found guilty in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without parole in the 2014 death of 53-year-old Janice Pitts.

In November 2019, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned that conviction, ruling that a trial court excluded testimony from a key witness that could have influenced the jury’s guilty verdict.

Green, the grandson of former Birmingham Mayor W. Cooper Green, was convicted again last month of felony murder and triple aggravated assault in Douglas County, Georgia.

This week, Supreme Court Justice William “Beau” McClain sentenced Green to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 40 years.

“This is a case that has shocked our community. A grandmother, a law-abiding citizen who drove her daughter to work, was senselessly and brutally run over and murdered by the defendant,” said Douglas County District Attorney Dalia Racine.

“The judge ensured that the defendant could not harm anyone,” Racine said. “While nothing can undo the loss that occurred that day, we pray that this sentencing will bring some peace and healing to the Pitts family as we know the accused has once again been brought to justice. “

Pitts died after police said Green repeatedly rammed her car and then ran her over for no apparent reason on June 25, 2014.

Pitts was killed in front of her daughter Iesha Davis and her 4-year-old grandson Kemani Price, both of whom were in the family’s SUV.

“Imagine your mother minding her own business and being brutally killed,” 28-year-old Nakeeta Davis told AL.com shortly after her mother’s death. “This man wanted to kill. He didn’t stop until he got what he was looking for.”

Pitts was on her way to Lowe’s, Douglasville Police Chief Chris Womack said, when she was killed.

Janice Pitts (Special for AL.com)

Womack reported as follows: Pitts was in the southbound turn lane on Highway 5, waiting to turn left onto Douglas Boulevard. Green was behind Pitts in the turning lane and then, for no apparent reason, behind Pitts’ vehicle.

He reversed and hit her vehicle again, and then a third time. As Pitts got out of her vehicle to check for damage, Green used his vehicle to pin Pitts between her vehicle and his, then reversed over her.

Green drove a short distance and drove up an embankment until his car came to a stop. Witnesses took his car keys and held him until police arrived at the scene.

Authorities said Pitts was pronounced dead shortly after 2:30 p.m. that day from massive blunt force trauma.

Green’s attorneys said the Pelhamer native suffered a head injury that caused a seizure after he got into a fender bender with Pitts and that he wasn’t in control when he hit Pitts.

After his conviction in 2015, Green screamed “I’m not f***ing guilty” and was yanked from the emotional courtroom by deputies.

Dewey Green

Dewey Green

He also spoke to the media after the initial conviction, saying, “I was accused of something I don’t remember because I was knocked unconscious in a tragic car accident,” he said. “I had no idea I was in any kind of car accident until someone told me six hours later, and then told me for the first time, that I had been charged with murder.”

Alabama court records show that Green had several Alabama traffic issues, including a 2011 reckless driving conviction when he was driven at 99 miles per hour while overtaking a vehicle in the median on Interstate 85 in Montgomery.

Law enforcement officials in Alabama said in 2015 they were familiar with Green. He was arrested in 2009 but was granted juvenile delinquent status, meaning the authorities could not discuss the case or even the charges against him. He was also the subject of a 2011 harassment investigation involving Caritas of Birmingham, a Shelby County ministry, but no charges were ever brought against him in that case.

There have also been other incidents of traffic violations and criminal mischief, but again, Green was a juvenile, so authorities cannot discuss these cases. Georgia officials said Green suffered drug arrests in both Alabama and Florida, again as a juvenile delinquent.

Green attended Pelham High School and grew up in a quiet, affluent suburb of Pelham. At 19, Green launched Southern Ruckus, an online blog documenting his love of extreme sports and photography.