Clayton News Daily

By Ed Brock

A Clayton County man has been ordered to pay more than $30 million in damages to the family of a Fayetteville man in a wrongful death lawsuit connected to the slaying of the Fayetteville man last year.

However, William Edward Robbins III of Jonesboro has still not been charged with a crime in connection with the April 23, 2003 shooting of David Mangham.

In July, Clayton County Superior Court Judge Stephen Boswell entered a default judgment in the civil case that favored the plaintiffs, Mangham's parents Oris and Carrie Mangham along with David Mangham's estate. On Thursday Boswell set the judgment at $30,043,657.70.

Of that, $5 million was granted to the Manghams directly and the rest was awarded to the estate, with $43,657.70 for funeral, medical and other necessary expenses and $25 million for pain and suffering and punitive damages.

The default judgment was issued in the case because, under advice from his criminal defense attorneys, Robbins refused to answer any questions in the case or be deposed, according to the Mangham's attorney Mel Hewitt as well as Robbins' civil attorney Steve Mixon.

"We didn't contest the amount of money at all," Mixon said. "He'll pay what he can."

However, Mixon said that Robbins doesn't have any money so the judgment was not worth protesting.

According to Hewitt, David Mangham discovered Robbins in his home on the day of the killing. When Mangham saw that Robbins was taking around $3,000 from him Mangham ran to get a gun, at which time Robbins shot him.

Robbins' criminal defense attorney, Ricky Morris, said he has not yet been informed of any criminal charges filed against his client by the Fayette County District Attorney's Office.