Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson reported Tuesday a jury took about an hour to convict a Florida man accused of murdering a woman and dumping her body in the Ocmulgee River two years ago.
After listening to 18 days of testimony and looking at various items of evidence, the jury was returned a guilty verdict against Joshua Lamar Helton for the murder of Judy Murrow of Tampa.
“I would like to commend the investigators of the Telfair Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, as well as our law enforcement counterparts in Tampa and other jurisdictions in Florida for the tremendous amount of time and effort dedicated to bringing the perpetrator of this cruel and vicious crime to justice,” Steverson said. “Also, my hats off to District Attorney Tim Vaughn and the Oconee District Attorney’s Office Assistant D.A.’s Josh Powell and Lauren Shurling for their excellent courtroom presentation which resulted in a conviction on all charges and a life sentence for Helton….I must mention our hearts remain heavy with sorrow for the Murrow family, their loss can never be restored but they can be confident that every available resource was expended on solving this horrible crime and holding the perpetrator accountable. Please pray for these families and please continue praying for those who serve and protect our county.”
Helton was arrested in July, 2013 after a fisherman discovered the body of 64-year-old Murrow in the Ocmulgee River.