Author: Jerry A. Hudson

Local authorities are at a loss to explain what caused a loud “booming” sound Sunday night that shook homes and was heard from Broxton to Baymeadows. Local citizens took to Facebook and other social media sites Monday trying to figure out the source of the sound, which occurred sometime around 8:30 to 9 p.m. Some reported hearing the sound multiple times, comparing it to the sound of a canon being fired or a bomb exploding. From reports, the sound appears to have been loudest close to the Baymeadows community off Ga. Hwy. 158 W., where numerous residents stated their homes…

A Coffee County man accused of beating and holding his estranged wife against her will remains in the county jail after having his bond denied earlier this week. Dennis Wayne Lytle, age 41, appeared before Superior Court Judge Dwayne Gillis requesting a bond in relation to an incident that occurred in August. According to a report obtained through the sheriff’s office, the victim met with deputies at the law enforcement center on August 18 and stated she had gone to an address on Weeks Rd. to pick up her children from friends. Unbeknownst to her, she told authorities, her husband…

Douglas businessman Shaun Sharma received an early release from his felony probation Tuesday morning in Coffee County Superior Court. Sharma was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2013 on charges stemming from a 2007 incident. He was subsequently given two years on probation. Sharma and his attorney, Mike Gowen, filed a motion requesting an early termination of his probation, citing his compliance and the fact he has already paid all fines and fees ordered as part of his original sentence. Assistant District Attorney John Rumker, while conceding Sharma had been a model…

A 23-year-old Douglas man was sentenced to 20 years of probation Tuesday morning in Coffee County Superior Court after pleading guilty to one count of statutory rape. Keith Samuel Smith admitted to having consensual sex with a 14-year-old female during an incident that occurred earlier this year. Testimony given Tuesday revealed Smith and the victim were at a party at the Fountain Inn motel when the two engaged in intercourse. Given the fact that Smith does not have any prior convictions and the act was not forced, the district attorney’s office agreed to offer him the 20-year probation sentence with…

A Coffee County man accused of beating his 72-year-old mother will remain in jail pending trial after having his bond denied Monday morning. Jimmy Carrol Kirkland, age 47 of a Ramblewood Rd. address, faces multiple charges including aggravated stalking, abuse of an elderly person, and obstruction of a 911 call stemming from an incident that occurred in October. According to a report obtained through the sheriff’s office, Kirkand’s mother obtained a twelve-month protective order against her son in July, which prohibited him from going within 500 yards of her. On October 20, the mother met with deputies at the Coffee…

For the second time this year, Douglas has been named in an independent study as one of Georgia’s most dangerous cities. Movoto Real Estate Company published their findings last week, naming Douglas as the state’s seventh most crime-ridden community. Here’s what they had to say: “Out of all 72 places we looked at, Douglas had among the top 20 most murders per capita—and that’s the good news. It also had the seventh most violent crimes in general, and the third most property crimes per capita. Of those property crimes, a vast majority were thefts; however there were also 42 robberies…

A Coffee County jail inmate who walked off a work detail on Friday was located by authorities Saturday morning and is back behind bars. Coffee County Sheriff Doyle Wooten stated that Tramal Ray Dailey was found in Atkinson County after officials conducted an all-night search of the area. Dailey was observed operating a four-wheeler by Atkinson County Sheriff David Moore, who recognized and followed him. Dailey was taken into custody without incident and it is unknown at this time if the four-wheeler was stolen or not. At the location where Dailey was arrested, a jeep that had been reported stolen several…

One suspect was detained, while two others were able to avoid apprehension following a residential burglary Thursday morning in Douglas. Police responded to a home on Ethel St. after receiving a call from a complainant who stated a house was being burglarized and the offender(s) was possibly still on the scene. When authorities arrived, three suspects attempted to flee on foot. A Douglas police officer was able to stop and detain one of them, who was identified as Markavius Paulk. Officials are attempting to identify the other suspects and were in the process of conducting a search of the area…

Convicted sex offender Timothy Lamar Williams will spend another ten years on probation after being sentenced in Coffee County Superior Court Friday morning. Williams was arrested in July for failing to comply with the requirements of his sex offender status by not reporting his home address to authorities. Williams was convicted of statutory rape in Coffee County in 2003, according to records obtained through the Georgia Department of Correction’s web site. Since his initial release in 2006, he has served two additional prison terms and was most recently released May, 2012. Convicted sex offenders are required to register with the…

Accused child molester, 71-year-old Billy Wade Adams, was granted a $100 thousand bond Thursday in Coffee County Superior Court after filing a motion for bond reconsideration. Adams was incarcerated in June on two counts of child molestation after allegedly exposing himself and masturbating while he was babysitting neighborhood children. He was initially granted a $150 thousand bond in August. On Thursday, Adams’ attorney argued his client could not meet the amount of his bond due to his limited financial resources. He also urged the judge to take into consideration that, prior to the incident, Adams had never had a felony…