De'Marquise Kareem Elkins was born in 1995. According to defense counsel, he experienced neglect from his drug-addicted mother as a child. Prior to the murder of Antonio Santiago, Elkins attempted to rob Pastor Wilfredo Calix-Flores on March 11, 2013, at the pastor's church in Brunswick, Georgia. Elkins and two accomplices pointed a pistol at Calix-Flores and demanded his cell phone and money. When the pastor did not have anything to give them, they shot him, with the bullet penetrating his arm and chest. After the shooting, the perpetrators fled the scene.

On March 11, 2013, Elkins, along with two accomplices, attempted to rob Pastor Wilfredo Calix-Flores outside his church in Brunswick, Georgia. When the pastor couldn't provide money or valuables, Elkins shot him, resulting in injuries to his arm and chest. The pastor survived the attack.

Ten days later, on March 21, 2013, Elkins and 15-year-old Dominique Lang approached Sherry West, who was walking her 13-month-old son, Antonio Santiago, in a stroller. Elkins demanded money at gunpoint. When West stated she had none, Elkins threatened her and her child. Despite her pleas, Elkins shot West in the leg and then fatally shot Antonio in the face at point-blank range. The assailants fled the scene, leaving behind a community in shock.

Elkins was arrested on March 22, 2013. During the trial, testimonies from West and Lang were pivotal in securing a conviction. On August 30, 2013, Elkins was found guilty of multiple charges, including malice murder, and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 125 years for related offenses. As he was 17 at the time of the crime, he was ineligible for the death penalty under Georgia law.