The appellant, William Sheppard, appeals from his convictions for malice murder and the possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime stemming from the death of Neville Hall.1 On appeal, Sheppard contends, among other things, that trial counsel provided ineffective assistance and that the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions. Finding no merit to Sheppard’s contentions, we affirm. 1. Dontaveous Wyman testified that, on February 14, 2003, Sheppard, who had long hair, took him, the victim, and Steven Johnson to a house at 1531 Wooten Road in Augusta, Georgia, in order to obtain some crack cocaine to sell to Wyman and Hall. Wyman and Hall drove to the location in Hall’s white van, and Johnson and Sheppard drove in a gold Saturn. When they arrived at the new location, Hall and Wyman left the white van running, and all four of the men went to the backyard. According to Wyman, Sheppard asked Wyman and Hall how much cocaine they wanted. Hall responded that he wanted to buy about $100 worth. Wyman added that Sheppard went around the side of the house, returned with a flowerpot, pulled a black handgun out of the flower pot, and shot Hall in the back of the head while he was counting his money. Sheppard told Wyman he shot Hall because Hall had “set up” Sheppard’s brother, and Sheppard told Wyman to get in the car. Sheppard got in the back seat of the Saturn, Wyman got in the front passenger seat, and Johnson got in the driver’s seat. They sped away from the scene of the shooting and, in doing so, almost ran over a man named Michael Wade. The trio drove back to the location where Wyman first saw Hall.
Michael Wade testified he had known Sheppard for a few years and had ridden in a gold Saturn with Sheppard and Johnson about 9:30 p.m. on the night of the crimes. Wade saw Sheppard with a black revolver that night and had seen Sheppard with the black revolver on other occasions. Wade testified that, shortly after 9:30 p.m., Johnson dropped him off at Alice Lovett’s house on Wooten Road. Lovett’s house was about seven houses from the house at 1531 Wooten Road. Wade added that, later that evening, when he standing in Lovett’s front yard with Lovett and some other friends, he saw a white van and Sheppard’s gold Saturn stop at 1531 Wooten Road. Wade got on his bike and began riding it to the house. Wade testified that he heard a gunshot, saw Sheppard, who had long dreadlocks, jump in the back seat of the Saturn, and saw the Saturn speed off. Wade stated that the car forced him off the road. According to Wade, he went to the house and saw someone lying on the ground.
