Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Thompson High Student Arrested for Murdering Ex

A 15-year-old Georgia student has been murdered and her boyfriend has been charged with the crime.

In McDuffie County, the community is dealing with its third murder in two weeks. The body of 15-year-old Shakira Hudson was found behind her home Friday morning.

Melita Hudson, Shakira Hudson's aunt: "It's awful, It's awful. I never would have thought anything like this would have happened."

Friends and family were in tears, after news quickly spread at Thomson High School that the 15-year old student was killed.

Pedrinisha Few, Shakira Hudson's friend: "She was like, 'You heard about Kira?' I said, 'what happened to her?' She said she was dead. I said, 'please don't tell me that.'"

Shakira Hudson's body was found on near a shed at the back of her home at Washington Place Apartments, in Thomson.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agents tell us they were tipped off by the McDuffie County School System.

Hudson's Aunt says her neice's boyfriend, Terry Johnson, was that one that told teachers.

Melita Hudson: "He was in class, he went on up there and told them they needed to go check on her because she's hurting real bad."

Family members say they saw Johnson talking with Hudson Thursday night....

Melita Hudson: "When my son pulled up, they were talking outside. When he got ready to leave, they moved to the side of the apartment."

Now, investigators are working to piece exactly what happened.

Investigators arrested Shakira's boyfriend, Terry Johnson, on Friday evening. He has been charged with murder.
If you suspect your teen may be involved in an abusive relationship, please call the national teen dating violence helpline at 1-866-331-9474. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Hudson family.

Monday, November 29, 2010

College Park Man Accused of Murder

According to 11 Alive news, a College Park man has been arrested, accused of shooting and killing his estranged wife in a crowded mall parking lot Sunday evening.


College Park Police found Asa Stean Barrow fatally shot in front of the Old National Discount Mall on Godby Road in College Park.

Lt. Bruce Braxton said in a statement their initial investigation revealed James Barrow shot his wife then exchanged gunfire with mall security guards before fleeing the mall.

Sunday night College Park police were hunting for Barrow in a white sedan.

Police found Barrow at a relative's house in Troup county. Barrow is being taken back to College Park to face murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated stalking charges.
This is another killing in a public place that could have brought serious harm to uninvolved bystanders. It is a further reminder why domestic violence will never just be a private, family matter but instead is an issue that everyone should care about.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Barrow family.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Lincoln County Murder-Suicide

In the latest of a rash of recent DV murder-suicide or murder-attempted suicides in Georgia, Lincoln County investigators now report that a man killed his wife, then himself in Lincolnton.

Investigators are now calling it a domestic dispute; they say 53-year-old Christopher Holloway shot and killed his 37-year-old wife, Pamela, before turning the gun on himself.

A family member discovered the couple inside their Lincolnton home around 7:54 Monday morning. That family member then called the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, who later called in the GBI to help with the investigation.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Holloway family.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Fort Valley Murder-Suicide

Macon.com reports the death of married couple, which the coroner has determined was a murder-suicide.

Peach County Coroner Kerry Rooks said 54-year-old James Wallace shot his wife, Annie Ruth Wallace, also 54, multiple times Friday afternoon and then turned the gun on himself.
The couple was reportedly in the midst of a divorce.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wallace family.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Domestic Violence Murder in Douglasville

WSB also reports today that a Douglasville woman was killed and a man injured in what police are describing as a "domestic" situation. Little else is known at this time.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Police: Lawrenceville Man Kills Wife

WSB reports that a Lawrenceville man is accused of killing his estranged wife, then shooting himself in front of their home.

Police said a preliminary investigation revealed that Robert Taylor, 37, and his wife, Joy Taylor, 38, were separated. Police said Robert Taylor returned to their home on Park Creek Circle near Lawrenceville on Sunday night and confronted Joy Taylor.

Police said the two were engaged in a verbal argument in the driveway when Robert Taylor shot and killed Joy Taylor. Police said Robert Taylor then shot himself.

Robert Taylor was transported to Gwinnett Medical Center for treatment of life-threatening injuries. He was listed in critical condition.
As always, our thoughts and prayers are with the Taylor family.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

He Would Never Hit a Girl

An Atlanta teen was beaten to death outside a party this week. According to witness accounts given to the AJC, this is what happened:

Two young women got into a fight outside a party. One of the women struck a male partygoer.

The young man did not hit back, saying that he doesn't hit girls, but vowed that the next guy who walked by would get what she deserved.

18-year-old Bobby Tillman walked by.

The young man who was struck began to beat Bobby Tillman. Three others joined in.

They beat Bobby to death.

Do you see why it isn't enough just to teach our sons not to hit girls? The young man in question absorbed that lesson to the letter. What he did not learn was not to hurt women, not to threaten or intimidate them in order to control their behavior. So, instead of hitting her, he chose a random bystander to hurt, letting her know that this was her fault. He was seeking her anguish, her anger, her shame. He punished her by assaulting Bobby. Yes, she hit him first, but he reacted with a much greater degree of violence, and now an innocent young man is dead and a young girl is left, for the rest of her life, feeling like she caused his death.

It is not enough to teach our sons not to hit girls. Men who are arrested or who are enrolled in family violence intervention programs often learn not to hit women. They don't always learn not to use verbal abuse, or financial abuse, or threats of suicide, or other means of controlling women. Our sons, and our brothers, and our coworkers, and our friends need to learn that violence is never a problem-solver. They should also learn to treat others with respect, and that it is never okay to use controlling tactics to punish another person or to get a person to do what you want. No one should have been hit that night, and certainly no one should have died.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Tillman family.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Augusta Man "Person of Interest" in DV Murder

An Augusta grandmother was found stabbed to death in her home, and her former partner has been identified as a "person of interest".

Authorities discovered the body of [Norma Jean] Mobley, 52, a mother of four and grandmother of seven, in her residence on the 1600 block of McCauley Street in Cherry Tree Crossing about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Authorities named Samuel Steplight as a person of interest Wednesday. Steplight and Mobley had been living together for about four years before splitting up a month ago.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mobley family.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Rome Man Kills Wife, Self

According to a preliminary police investigation:
The preliminary investigation indicated that Jeffery Ware shot his wife, Jeannine, 47, during an argument at their Booger Hollow Road home, and then turned the gun on himself, said Capt. Mark Wallace of the Floyd County Police Department.

Police are still investigating what led to the shooting.

The woman was holding her 16-year-old son’s leg when she was shot in the back and at least twice more, Wallace said.

The couple’s 14-year-old son was also in the home, but it was not clear late Wednesday where he was at the time of the shootings, Wallace said. It was the 14-year-old who called 911, he said.

The teens were not injured.

Jeffery Ware was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Barry Henderson. Jeannine Ware was pronounced dead on arrival at Floyd Medical Center at 5:46 p.m., Henderson said.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ware family, especially the young men who are left without parents.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Atlanta Man Charged with Killing New Bride

According the the AJC:

Police say 29-year-old Minchillo McLester fatally shot his 25-year-old wife, Madison McLester, early Sunday after they returned from a Halloween party. He's being held without bond on a murder charge at the Fulton County Jail, with a scheduled court date of Nov. 15.

The pair had married Oct. 10. Police do not have a motive in the killing.

Madison McLester was found on the floor of their home in the 1000 block of Oak Street, in southwest Atlanta. She had been shot several times, police said.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family.