15-year-old murder victim identified as Griffin High student

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The 15-year-old Griffin boy shot and killed Saturday night has been identified as Luis Fernando Perez. Perez lived in the Hallmark Hills neighborhood and was a Griffin High student. Griffin Police Department officers were dispatched to 1100 W. College St. Extension at approximately 11 p.m. in reference to a person shot. […]

BREAKING NEWS: Suspect in murder of 14-year-old apprehended

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Kaomarion Kendrick, the suspect in the Sept. 30 murder of 14-year-old Emmanuel Dorsey, has been arrested. Dorsey died after sustaining a gunshot wound to the torso following the annual Griffin-Spalding football game. Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix said deputies from the SCSO Special Operations and STING units, along with investigators from […]

BREAKING NEWS: GPD Chief Mike Yates resigns after GBI investigation of murder case

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Mike Yates on Tuesday submitted his letter of resignation as chief of the Griffin Police Department. Yates had been on paid administrative leave since April 28. “This action (Yates’ administrative leave) was taken in connection with the pending GBI investigation requested by District Attorney Marie Broder into the matter involving Sgt. […]

Suspect identified in murder of 14-year-old

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Griffin Police Department has identified 17-year-old Kaomarion Kendrick as a suspect in the Saturday afternoon murder of 14-year-old Emmanuel Dorsey. Warrants for Kendrick’s arrest have been obtained, charging him with murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a pistol by someone under […]

GPD officer resigns; police chief disciplinary conference scheduled after D.A.’s announcement

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Griffin City Manager Jessica O’Connor confirmed Wednesday that D’Marquivius “D.J.” King has resigned from the Griffin Police Department. O’Connor also said a disciplinary conference for GPD Chief Mike Yates will take place Thursday.King and Yates have been on paid administrative leave since February and April, respectively, while the GBI investigated King’s […]

D.A. to present GBI investigation of Griffin officer to grand jury

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Marie Broder today announced that she will convene a grand jury to present the findings of a GBI investigation related to the Griffin Police Department’s investigation of the May 2021 murder of Javarreis Reid. “Upon receiving the report from Special Agent Adam Thompson with the GBI, I […]

Two men convicted in 2021 double murder, sentenced to life without parole

STAFF REPORT ::: A Spalding County jury on Thursday convicted Carmen Emilio Torres and Eric Cabrera Lopez in the murders of Carlos Benford and Joshua Wyatt. Beford and Wyatt’s bodies were discovered burning in a truck on April 13, 2021. Spalding County firefighters and deputies responded to a location on Jackson Road near the Butts […]

GBI completes investigation of GPD’s handling of 2021 Javarreis Reid murder case

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::The GBI has completed its investigation of the Griffin Police Department’s (GPD) handling of the 2021 murder of Javarreis Reid. The GBI Region 2 Field Office confirmed the investigative case file was turned over to Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Marie Broder’s office on July 10. “So, I have reviewed it, but […]

Ongoing lover’s quarrel and egging an ex’s home lead to murder, Sheriff says

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::Three teenaged suspects, Sydney Maughon, age 18, MacKenzie Davenport, age 19, and Jeremy Munson, age 18, have been charged with murder in connection with the Monday afternoon shooting death of 21-year-old Jonathan Gilbert, who went by the name Tyler Lane. The shooting occurred in the roadway in front of a residence in […]

Sheriff: Teen murder victim was shot while fleeing from entering autos with other suspects

STAFF REPORT ::: Two suspects are in custody and one remains at large related to the June 23 shooting death of 18-year-old Dallas Johnson. Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Uniform Patrol Division deputies discovered Johnson’s body in the Sunnyside Baptist Church parking lot. Authorities say Johnson was shot by a cohort as he and three other […]

Teen murder victim discovered in Spalding County church parking lot

STAFF REPORT ::: The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a murder after a shooting victim was discovered early Friday morning in a church parking lot. Deputies responded to Sunnyside Baptist Church at approximately 2:40 a.m. in reference to the discovery of a gunshot victim in the parking lot. The victim has been identified as […]

Sheriff: Woman committed murder, set fire to home to conceal “insidious” crime

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Christy Garner, of Spalding County, has been arrested and charged in connection with the murder of Patricia Gresham, in a crime described by Sheriff Darrell Dix as an “insidious.” The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, Spalding County Fire Department and Spalding County Coroner Michael Pryor on Sunday responded to a structure fire […]

GPD Chief allowed no contact with city employees or access to city premises

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Griffin Police Department Chief Mike Yates, who begins his third week of administrative leave on Friday, has been ordered to have no contact with any city of Griffin employees and to refrain from coming on any city property. Griffin City Manager Jessica O’Connor placed Yates on what she said is a […]

Spalding teen convicted in gang-related murder

STAFF REPORT ::: A Spalding County teenager, 17-year-old Cedravious Wilkerson, has been convicted of the Dec. 9, 2020, murder of 20-year-old Parrish Pierce. Pierce’s body was discovered in the woods off the 17th tee box of the Griffin Golf Course in City Park. The Griffin Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, […]

Mother of deceased four-month-old baby now charged with murder

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Nakia Cloud, the mother of Zychion Damal Montgomery, a four-month-old baby who died in his father’s home early last Saturday morning, has now been charged with murder. Cloud and Zachary Montgomery, Zychion’s father, were initially charged with second degree cruelty to children, a felony. Those charges were upgraded after information was […]