Gwinnett County man sentenced to life for murder of man during altercations over puppies

A 75-year-old Lawrenceville man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a man during an argument about puppies.

A jury found Stanley Nathaniel Elliott guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm for the death of 44-year-old Anthony Collins.

According to prosecutors, Collins was walking his Jack Russell puppies on the afternoon of Feb. 25, 2021, on Riverside Parkway when he encountered Elliott. During the meeting, Elliott pulled out a gun and fatally shot Collins.

Police arrested Elliott after identifying him through video footage. The gun used in the murder was found in a motorboat parked in his garage.

During the trial, jurors heard testimony that Elliott and Collins had met months before the shooting, when Elliot tried to hit the puppies with a metal rod. Officials say the jury also saw footage of a man who resembled Elliot "raising his arm to shoot after a short interaction with a man walking dogs."

"Violence – and especially deadly violence – is not the answer for solving any dispute," Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. "Our hope is that this outcome provides the victim's friends and loved ones with some closure and a sense that justice has prevailed."

Following the conviction, a judge sentenced Elliott to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus five years.