Three Teens Arrested in Downtown Beating Death

An act of teenage male bravado on the part of at least one boy may have led to Sunday’s beating death of an 81-year-old man visiting Lynchburg for his granddaughter’s wedding, police said.

Two 16-year-olds and a 13-year-old were arrested Tuesday and charged with the murder of George Leroy Baker III, of Tempe, Ariz.

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Though police have said they are prohibited by law from naming juveniles, a search warrant filed in Lynchburg Circuit Court on Tuesday identified Kenneth Davis as the person who ran up to Baker “in an aggressive manner” before witnesses heard what sounded like a blow to Baker’s body and saw Davis running away.

Witnesses told police they heard Davis say he would hit the first person he saw in order to impress girls he was with, the affidavit from Lynchburg Det. Todd Rodes states.

“A witness dining at the Hash House saw a young black male kick the victim in the face after he had already been knocked to the ground,” the affidavit states. “The victim was unconscious upon bystanders coming to his aide.”

The affidavit states witnesses identified Davis by name and in a photo lineup as participating in the beating.

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This is the third homicide in Lynchburg this year after the city went murder-free in 2009. Derrick Lee Payne, 25, was shot and killed near 17th and Floyd streets in May. Theodore Curtis Poe, 20, was shot and killed in the 400 block of Lakewood Street in July.