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Man faces life in prison for murdering taxi driver

A Marietta man has been convicted of killing a taxi driver in 2015.

A Marietta man has been convicted of killing a taxi driver in 2015.

Justin Marquis Graves, 36, faces life in prison when he is sentenced Thursday afternoon.

Last week, jurors took only about an hour to convict Graves of killing Michael Bemus, 65, in the pre-dawn hours of Aug. 6, 2015, after Bemus had given Graves a ride in his taxi.

Graves owed money for his extended-stay motel room and was captured on video shortly after the murder paying $41 in rent at Allround Suites, in the 2200 block of Northwest Parkway in Marietta, near Dave & Buster’s. The state argued it was blood money.

The defendant took the stand in his own defense and admitted he had initially lied to police in a two-hour-long interview. At one point during his testimony, Graves lashed out at Chief ADA Jesse Evans, saying, “I object to you being born,” and also, “go kick rocks.”

Graves was convicted of all seven charges: malice murder, three counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony.

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