Frederick Hampton Jr. was not the man the two gunmen were fighting with that September night. According to his mother, the 26-year-old was trying to calm things down when gunfire erupted in Savannah, Georgia. He never made it home. More than a year later, the two men originally charged with his murder have pleaded guilty to reduced charges and received prison sentences.
Marion Hutchinson, 44, and Charles Anthony Barnes, 45, were both charged in connection with Hampton’s death. The shooting happened on September 20, 2025, in the 1200 block of Rogers Street. Hampton was caught in the exchange of gunfire and killed. The case has now ended with separate plea agreements for both defendants.
Hutchinson pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter under an open-ended, partially negotiated agreement. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, with credit for time already served. His original charges included malice murder, felony murder and firearm offenses. The agreement also dropped an aggravated assault charge and three counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. Had he been convicted on the original charges, he could have faced two life sentences plus 40 years.
Barnes, also known as “Wop,” entered a separate, non-negotiated guilty plea. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He received six years in prison, followed by five years of probation. He will also receive credit for the time he has already spent behind bars.
Prosecutors told the court that the shooting grew out of a long-running dispute involving Hutchinson and Barnes’ family. Barnes’ brother had previously been convicted of aggravated assault for shooting Hutchinson. Just 10 days before Hampton was killed, Hutchinson had also been charged with aggravated assault in a separate incident involving Barnes’ brother. The prosecutor said the two sides later communicated through another person and agreed to put their differences behind them.
But that agreement did not prevent another confrontation. On September 20, Hutchinson had been drinking at a gathering place in Chatham County known as a shot house. He planned to meet friends at a local bar or pool hall to play pool. When he stepped outside, Barnes approached him with a gun, according to the prosecutor’s account. Barnes reportedly made a remark about nobody running up on his brother before pointing the weapon at Hutchinson and firing.
Hutchinson tried to run but was hit in the lower leg. He took cover, pulled out his own gun and fired three shots back at Barnes. During the exchange, Hampton was struck by a bullet and died. Prosecutors said Barnes’ gun jammed, and investigators found two unspent shell casings that had been cleared from the weapon.
The prosecution said the evidence would have shown that Hutchinson was shot first and returned fire, unintentionally killing Hampton. When the judge asked whether investigators could establish which gun fired the fatal bullet, the prosecutor said the state’s position was that it came from Hutchinson’s weapon.
Hutchinson later met with prosecutors, his defense attorney and the detective handling the investigation. According to the prosecutor, the detective believed Hutchinson was being truthful after considering his account, witness statements, photographs and other forensic evidence. The prosecutor also told the court that Hutchinson became emotional when he realized one of his bullets might have killed his friend.
Barnes offered a different account during his sentencing hearing. He admitted that anger and an ongoing dispute with Hutchinson had played a part in the confrontation. However, he claimed Hutchinson reached for his gun first and said he fired only once, into the ground. Barnes insisted he never saw Hampton during the shooting and did not believe his bullet killed him.
“I had — this — this was a total stupidity on my part,” Barnes told the judge, admitting that his anger had contributed to what happened. He also apologized to Hampton’s mother and said he never intended for her family to experience such a loss. Still, he maintained that he was not responsible for Hampton’s death.
Hampton’s mother gave the court a deeply personal account of the loss her family has endured. She described her son as a loving son, grandson, nephew, cousin and brother. But one of his most important roles was being a father. He welcomed a son in 2020 and, according to his mother, took pride in raising him and making him his priority.
The family had already suffered another heartbreaking loss before Hampton was killed. More than a year earlier, his son died in a drowning accident. His mother said Frederick was still trying to recover from that loss and was only beginning to find his way again when his own life was taken.
She remembered him as a friendly person who never met a stranger and had a smile that could brighten a room. She also told the court that he was trying to prevent the argument from getting worse on the night he died.
“That was the kind of person he was. He did not deserve to lose his life for trying to bring peace to a situation,” she said.
His mother asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence allowed by law. She acknowledged that no prison term could bring her son back, but said his life mattered and the punishment should reflect the damage his death had caused. She said the family would never get to watch him grow older, celebrate his achievements or see him rebuild his life after losing his child.
The judge also had strong words for Barnes, questioning why people continued to settle personal disagreements with guns. He said the confrontation in the street showed a troubling willingness to use firearms to deal with anger and conflict. He also told Barnes that he needed to learn to control his temper.
Barnes’ sentence comes with several conditions. He must stay away from Hampton’s family, avoid alcohol and drugs, stay out of places that serve or provide them, and cannot enter homes where they are present. He is also barred from West Savannah, must obtain lawful employment and cannot be around firearms.
Both defendants reportedly attempted to cooperate with the investigation. However, the plea agreements have left Hampton’s family facing a loss that no court decision can undo. The 26-year-old who, according to his mother, tried to stop a dispute between others became the person who never got another chance to go home.