The state’s case against one of the three men charged with murder in the death of Vann Brown wrapped up its first day of testimony this afternoon, with a total of 12 witnesses taking the stand on their behalf. Court began shortly after 10:00 a.m., with both the prosecution and Anderson’s attorney, Robert Walker, presenting opening statements to the jury. DouglasNow reported earlier this afternoon that Cam Coffee and Annsley Coffee were the first two witnesses to take the stand, with both being questioned by Assistant District Attorney John Rumker and Walker. Court resumed around 1:00…
Author: Staff Reports
The first of three trials in the 2020 death of Vann Brown began this morning with the state’s case against Justin Anderson. Opening statements from the prosecution and Anderson’s defense counsel began shortly after 10:00 a.m. Two witnesses, Cam and Annsley Coffee, have taken the stand so far on the state’s behalf, both of whom were at the property the night Brown lost his life. Judge Kelly Brooks adjourned for a lunch break at noon, and the hearing resumed at 1:00 p.m. The trial is expected to continue throughout the week, with the GBI…
Over the past week, the Douglas Police Department responded to a number of entering autos throughout the city limits. Incidents were reported at Pinecrest Drive, the Fairfield Inn, and the Douglas Golf and Country Club community. The offenders stole several credit/debit cards, firearms, and one vehicle. On November 11, an officer patrolling the area of the golf club observed the stolen vehicle riding the area. The officer notified dispatch and officers began responding to the location. Noticing officers behind him, the driver of the vehicle began to flee. After a brief pursuit, two occupants exited the vehicle…
Several defendants were granted bonds in the Superior Court of Coffee County this week, with the majority of those being required due to their cases not being presented before a grand jury within 90 days. Four men who are accused of committing aggravated assault were denied release, along with many other individuals facing drug charges. Georgia law requires that a case be presented for an indictment within 90 days of the person’s arrest, and if the person is not indicted within 90 days, they are legally required to be granted a bond. According to an official…
A 28-year-old Axson man, Dekota Bennett, has been charged after allegedly receiving over $700 from a man whose four-wheeler he was working on, but never fixing the ATV or providing evidence of the money being spent on parts for the four-wheeler. He is also accused of stealing a boat from the man’s yard. According to a copy of a Coffee County Sheriff’s Office report, on October 27, a deputy responded to the Law Enforcement Center to speak to a man, 60-year-old Byron Gibson of Ambrose, about a possible theft. Gibson reported that he had just gotten back from picking up…
Several individuals facing felony charges pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of Coffee County this week. The majority of the defendants were facing drug possession charges, while one woman, Lashay Thrower, pleaded guilty to an aggravated assault that occurred earlier this year. Thrower was one of the many local individuals who pleaded guilty to their charges, which she received in March of this year. According to a copy of Thrower’s arrest warrant, she was booked into the Coffee County Jail on one count of aggravated assault and one count of aggravated battery. The warrant states that Thrower hit…
Shon Knighton, 47, was arrested this week after he allegedly attempted to walk into an 82-year-old woman’s home with a gun. According to a Coffee County Sheriff’s Office incident report, on November 8, a deputy was dispatched to a residence on Highway 221 North about a man attempting to break into the home. The deputy spoke to the homeowner, an 82-year-old woman from Douglas who reported that she heard a noise that “sounded like a car crash at her front door.” She stated that after hearing the noise, it sounded as if someone was attempting to…
The Douglas Police Department is currently investigating a slew of thefts that occurred overnight in the golf club area, where an automobile, multiple handguns, and other items were taken from vehicles. According to an official with the DPD, the thefts occurred during the early morning hours, possibly beginning on Briarwood Road and then on to Golf Club Road. A scent picked up by the K-9 Unit ended at a residence on Golf Club Road, where a vehicle was stolen. Investigators ask anyone who resides in the neighborhood and has home surveillance cameras to please check the…
On Wednesday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center reported that Tropical Storm Nicole had strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane. According to the National Weather Service and Coffee County Emergency Management Director Steve Carver, Coffee County will likely begin seeing the storm’s impacts on Thursday morning. According to the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, Nicole developed into a hurricane while making landfall on Grand Bahama Island just before their 6:00 p.m. update. Nicole is currently east of West Palm Beach, Florida, with sustained winds of 75 mph and moving west at 12 mph. Nicole’s is forecast to…
Gabriel Parr, 43, of Ambrose, was booked in the Coffee County Jail last week on an aggravated assault charge following a non-fatal shooting that took place in September. According to a copy of a Coffee County Sheriff’s Office incident report, a deputy was dispatched to a location in Ambrose on September 23 around 5:10 p.m. regarding a reported assault. When the deputy arrived, he spoke to a 32-year-old woman, listed as the complainant on the report, who stated that she had sold a Ruger short-barreled .38 revolver to Parr a few weeks prior “on credit” and that he…