Columbus Teen Charged with Girlfriend's Murder

A Columbus teen is charged in the shooting death of his girlfriend. From the Ledger-Enquirer:

Kayla [Castro], a 16-year-old Hardaway High School sophomore, the victim of a shotgun blast to the chest, was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. Saturday at 4944 Wellborn Drive, where police said the shooting happened in a bedroom about 9 p.m.

Kayla’s boyfriend, Benjamin Brantley, 18, was charged with her murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of a sawed-off shotgun. Police say Brantley told them the shooting was an accident.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Castro family.

Murder/Suicide in Tift County

WCTV reports:

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation issued a press release detailing their investigation on what they say is a murder suicide. They say that evidence indicates that Darrell Ward shot and killed James and Shirley Peters in their home late Sunday night.

He also shot his ex-wife, Kayla Peters, but she survived. Ward then shot himself in the chest. Relatives of the Peters' family say that Kayla divorced Ward two weeks ago.

"The cops they had the road blocked off from Mitchell Store down to 319, on both ends. They wouldn't let anybody down, wouldn't tell anyone anything, it wasn't until a couple hours afterwards that we found out what happened," said one of the Peters' neighbors, only wanting to be identified as Heather.

Relatives said that Kayla's condition was improving, and that they had informed her on Tuesday afternoon that her parents had been killed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Peters family.

Gwinnett Man Charged in Wife's Strangling

The AJC reports:

A 70-year-old Gwinnett County man remained hospitalized Tuesday afternoon, a day after he strangled his wife and then tried to kill himself, police said.

Officers were dispatched to a home on Summerfield Way, in the Sycamore Crossing neighborhood of Bethesda School Road near Lawrenceville, around 4:30 p.m. Monday for a welfare check after the couple did not show up for a meeting, Cpl. Ed Ritter said Monday evening.

Inside the stucco ranch home, officers found 62-year-old Eva Blatt dead and her husband, Alex Blatt, in medical distress, Ritter said. Police declined to say how the man attempted to kill himself in the apparent homicide and attempted suicide.

Alex Blatt was transported to Gwinnett Medical Center, where he was in critical condition Monday night, Ritter said.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Blatt family.

Warner Robbins Man Accused of Killing Girlfriend

From The Macon Telegraph:

Russell Daniel Holt, 28, of Warner Robins, has been charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in the 2:27 a.m. Sunday shooting of his girlfriend inside his residence in the 100 block of Ledford Way, said Tabitha Pugh, Warner Robins police spokeswoman.

His girlfriend, 27-year-old Jessica Nicole Wolfe of Bonaire, died from a single gunshot wound to the chest, an autopsy found Monday. The manner of death was ruled a homicide, Pugh said. No other physical trauma was noted in the autopsy, Pugh said.

Wolfe was pronounced dead at the scene of the domestic violence incident, Pugh said. Police were initially dispatched to the residence in reference to a woman not breathing, Pugh said.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wolfe family.

Gwinnett Man Arrested in Roomate's Violent Death

From WSBTV:

Gwinnett County police have arrested a man suspected of beating a woman to death in their apartment off of Power Avenue in Buford.

Investigators went to a home in the 300 block of Power Avenue for a welfare check on Wednesday afternoon and found Vickie Bowles, 54, dead on the floor of her apartment.

“There were obvious signs of violence in the apartment and blunt force trauma about her body,” said Cpl. Edwin Ritter with the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Thursday morning, police confirmed they had arrested Dennis Puckett and charged him with murder and aggravated assault in Bowles' death. Police said Puckett and Bowles both lived in the apartment where the body was found.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bowles family.

DeKalb Man Accused of Killing Ex

The AJC reports:

A man who fatally shot his ex-wife and injured another woman Wednesday morning in DeKalb County was arrested that afternoon when he showed up at a school in Duluth to pick up his son, authorities said.

Jason Bryant, 26, was arrested around 3:15 p.m. at Monarch School, a public school for Gwinnett County special needs children, nearly four hours after allegedly shooting the two women multiple times, police said. Charges against the man were pending Wednesday afternoon.

Angelina Bryant, 23, was killed outside the Windchase apartment complex in the Pine Lake area, and Trina Nwoke, 20, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition, DeKalb County police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said.

"He was arrested ... after attempting to pick up his son from school," Parish said. "DKPD notified Gwinnett and school authorities shortly after the shooting about the possibility that he would be headed in their direction."

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families.

Alleged DV Homicide in Colombus

From the Ledger-Enquirer:

An investigation into the Wednesday death of 90-year-old Annie Morgan has led to the arrest of her husband on a murder charge, Columbus police said on Saturday.

....

The charge stems from an 8 p.m. Wednesday call for paramedics at the couple’s apartment for a person stricken by a possible cardiac arrest. After paramedics arrived, they noticed a possible stab wound to the victim’s chest.

She was taken to The Medical Center where Deputy Coroner Charles Newton pronounced her dead at 8:45 p.m.

On Thursday, Annie Morgan’s body was sent to the crime lab in Atlanta for an autopsy that determined the woman’s aorta was punctured by an unknown sharp object, possibly a letter opener.

Statements from her husband weren’t consistent with the investigation, police Lt. John McMichael said.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Morgan family.

Mass DV-Related Shotting in Norcross

A mass shooting at a Norcross, GA spa is now suspected to be DV-related. From CNN:

The shooting deaths of five people at a suburban Atlanta spa Tuesday night was a murder-suicide triggered by a domestic dispute, police said Wednesday.

A man shot himself to death after killing his two sisters and their husbands at the Su Jung Health Spa in Norcross, Georgia, according to a police statement.

The man had been asked to leave the business earlier in the day, but returned at 8:40 p.m. and began shooting with a semiautomatic pistol, police said.

The names of the dead, all in their early 50s to mid-60s, have not been made public.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.

Alleged DV Murder in Emmanuel County

From My Swainsboro News:

On Sunday, Feb. 12, at approximately 8 p.m., the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office and Emanuel County Emergency Medical Services were dispatched to 40 Ebenezer Church Road in Emanuel County in reference to a female suffering from gunshot wounds.

According to Sheriff J. Tyson Stephens, deputies arrived and arrested George Walter Kirkland, 46, in connection with the shooting. Sherry Kirkland, 49, the wife of George Walter Kirkland, was located within the residence and pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.

Investigators from the sheriff’s office and crime scene specialists from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation were called in to investigate the death. Sherry Kirkland’s body was transported to the GBI Crime Lab for autopsy. George Walter Kirkland is currently charged with murder and remains in the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Detention Center without bond.

Anyone with information related to this case is asked to call Investigator Ashley Riner at the sheriff’s office (478) 237-7526 or the GBI at (478) 374-6988.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kirkland family.

Covington Man Wanted for Ex's Murder

From the AJC:

A man wanted in the drive-by slaying of his former girlfriend turned himself in to Covington police Saturday, authorities said.

Hannibal Wayne McMullen, 47, was charged with murder in the death early Friday of Ketitra Techelle Jones, who had filed for a temporary order of protection against the man.

Police said McMullen turned himself in around 5 p.m. Saturday. Police along with family and friends of McMullen had been in touch with him via cell phone and text messaging since late Friday, urging him to surrender.

The fatal shooting occurred on Washington Street near Carroll Street in Covington. Witnesses told police they heard and saw shots being fired from a blue Toyota Corolla and into a silver Dodge Ram truck driven by Jones.

Both vehicles were traveling northeast toward Covington’s town square. After the shooting, Jones’ truck crashed into an awning at the Pure Station on Washington Street near Carroll Street, police said. She was fatally wounded.

McMullen, who owns a detail shop in Covington, was identified as the suspect and was considered armed and dangerous.

Police said Jones and McMullen had been in a relationship that ended several months ago. Channel 2 Action News reported that Jones had sought an order of protection against McMullen.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jones family.

Clayton County Murder-Suicide

From 11 Alive News:

An 11-year-old boy coming home from school walked into a bloody scene where his parents had been killed.

Clayton County Police said the couple died in a murder-suicide. Their bodies were found in their Riverdale home Thursday afternoon.

According to a Clayton County Police officer, Edmond Martin, 33, shot his wife, Fitcha Martin, 31, and then turned the gun on himself.

The child called 911 after finding a large amount of blood inside the house, Clayton County Police spokeswoman Tina Daniel told the Clayton News Daily. She said the boy did not see his parents' bodies.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Martin family.

Attempted Wilcox County Murder-Suicide Leaves Shooter Dead

From NBC 41:

According to Investigator Thomas Stubbs with the Wilcox County Sheriff's Department, a woman was shot twice by her on again off again boyfriend Monday night. Authorities found her conscious in a home on Tippettville Road. Her boyfriend was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The victim was transported to the Medical Center of Central Georgia in stable condition where she is being treated for gunshot wounds to the neck and head.

Stubbs tells 41 NBC the couple had a a tumultous [sic] past. The victim was visiting her boyfriend since Christmas. Authorities are not releasing the name of the victim or shooter.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the woman's family.

Boyfriend Charged in Atlanta Teen's Murder

According to the AJC:

Atlanta police arrested the boyfriend of a teenage girl who was found mortally wounded in southeast Atlanta late Friday and who later died, authorities said Saturday.

The girl was not identified, but the suspect was identified as Edward Johnson, 18, who was charged with murder.

Police said they found the girl with a gunshot wound to her side around 9:15 p.m. in the 2000 block of Rhinehill road. She was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she later died.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family.

Man Charged in Catoosa County Double-Homicide

From CBS News:

A 59-year-old man told his estranged wife and her mother "they'd be sorry" before he pulled a handgun from his coat pocket and fatally shot both women at a Georgia hospital while people watched in the waiting room, police said.


"He shot the mother-in-law-first and then shot his wife," Fort Oglethorpe Police Chief David Eubanks told The Associated Press in a phone interview on Saturday, a day after the shooting...

The slayings happened at Hutcheson Medical Center in north Georgia, about 10 miles from the Tennessee state line. Police identified the man accused of the shootings as James Benson, a security guard from nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee. Investigators say he drove to the police station and turned himself in shortly afterward.


Police say the suspect had been separated from his wife, 56-year-old Mary Benson of Rossville, Ga., and their marital problems apparently prompted the violence. She was killed alongside her mother, 76-year-old Charlotte Johnson of Chattanooga, as they visited a relative being treated in the hospital's intensive care unit.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Benson and Johnson families.

Murder-Suicide in Augusta

From the Augusta Chronicle:

According to Richmond County sheriff’s Sgt. Dan Carrier, an FPL Foods employee, identified as Emanuel Jordan, 21, fired several shots outside the security gates at the business about 1:15 p.m.

Jordan, who worked at the facility, killed his wife, Tia Jordan, 40, then turned the gun on himself, according to Chief Deputy Coroner Mark Bowen.

...

Jordan has previous Richmond County charges of family violence, simple battery and theft by receiving stolen property from 2008 and a charge of possession of cocaine from 2009, according to law enforcement.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jordan family.

Possible Murder-Suicide in Columbus

Columbus, GA Police are investigating what they suspect to be a DV murder-suicide from Saturday night.

Ruby Grant, 21, and Freddie Dewayne Grant, 27, were found fatally shot about 7 p.m. inside their home at Huckleberry Hill Apartments, 4570 St. Marys Road. According to a police report, officers visited the complex to conduct “a welfare check” of the couple. One neighbor said officers were also looking for a little girl who had been spotted outside the apartments.

When police stepped inside the couple’s apartment, they found the bodies, authorities said.

“When they got there is when they found the victim,” Sgt. Matt Blackstock said. “When they investigated, they found the other victim.”

Reports indicate Freddie Grant shot his wife in the head in their bedroom around 6:45 p.m. He then shot himself in the head in the same room. There is no suicide note.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Grant family.

Possible Dating Violence Homicide in Clayton County

The AJC reports that a 19-year-old Clayton County man was arrested in the death of a 15-year-old girl. Police identified Marshae Hickman as a suspect from information in the victim's diary, which could imply that the two were involved in a relationship.

Marshae Hickman, 19, was already in jail after a burglary arrest last month when Clayton police charged him with murder and concealing a body in the death of Candice Parchment.

According to a police arrest warrant affidavit, Hickman confessed to choking Candice to death.

Candice disappeared on the night of April 28, 2010. Her body was found seven months later hidden beneath a discarded mattress behind an apartment complex off Old Dixie Highway in Forest Park.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Parchment family.

Alleged Murder -Suicide in Marietta

A Marietta couple was found dead yesterday in what police suspect was a murder-suicide.

That ongoing dispute ended when Mr. Wilbur Carl South, 28, shot his girlfriend, Ms. Maryellen Cano, 32, and then himself in their home on Springdale Drive, Marietta police spokesman Officer David Baldwin said.

But police said Thursday they weren’t sure when the couple died.

Officers found their bodies after Ms. Cano’s father reported her missing about 6 p.m. at the police department, Officer Baldwin said.

He told police he hadn’t heard from her in two days.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cano family.

Aragon, GA Man Charged in Wife's Death

According to the Fish Wrap, police say an Aragon, GA man is charged in the shooting death of his wife on September 17, 2011.

...the incident leaving Rita Merritt, 27, of 11 East 2nd St., Apt. A, Aragon, dead and her husband, Shay Merritt, 31, in jail without bond on a felony murder charge.

Police said they at first thought this was a suicide attempt but Shay Merritt confessed that night to the killing, according to Greg Ramey, Assistant Special Agent in Charge with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Merritt family.

Clayton County - Possible Murder, Attempted Suicide

From the AJC:

Clayton County police spokesman John Schneller said a woman was dead and a man was taken to the hospital with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The shootings occurred at a house in the 2500 block of Daley Court in Morrow.

Neighbor Harry Toney said police told him the shootings were the result of a domestic dispute.

Toney said a woman, man and three children lived at the house and had lived there since around the first of the year.

Further details were not immediately available.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.