Author: Staff Reports

An early morning shooting Saturday at a popular children’s recreational establishment resulted in the death of a local 19-year-old man. Georgia Bureau of Investigation officials stated that at around 1 a.m. Saturday, deputies with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to Just Jump for Kds, 3045 Highway 441 South, in reference to a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, deputies discovered Gabriel Demetrius Douglas suffering from a gunshot wound. Douglas was transported to Coffee Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Douglas will be taken to the GBI’s Medical Examiner’s Office in Savannah where an autopsy will be conducted. This…

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported Wednesday the arrest of Jacksonville, Ga. Police Chief Charles Briley and his wife, Ashley, in connection to a theft that occurred last summer. The Brileys are accused of stealing a newspaper collection box that belonged to a community service organization and allegedly using it as a cover for a well. GBI officials have also accused the husband and wife of lying to officials during the investigation. They have each been charged with one count of theft by taking, one count of false statements and writings, and one count of violation of oath by a…

Thirty body cameras and related equipment will be purchased for the Douglas Police Dept. to replace units already in use and to upgrade the system to a more reliable unit, city officials said in a press release issued Wednesday. “We want to keep our officers and citizens safe,” says Police Chief Gary Casteloes. “The purchase of these new on-body cameras will help provide positive accountability for our officers as well as the public. Body cameras provide a helpful insight at interactions between officers and the public.” Body worn video (BWV), also known as body cameras, is a video recording system…

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…

Seven people were hospitalized Saturday afternoon following a multi-vehicle accident that occurred just east of Nicholls. Officials responded to Ga. Hwy. 32 in the area of Roberts Cemetery Rd. around 4:30 p.m. Officials with the Georgia State Patrol stated the accident occurred when one vehicle attempted to made a left turn and was hit from behind after another driver two cars back struck the vehicle in front of him. One driver, identified as 60-year-old Randall Holder, was charged with following too closely. Officiasl stated none of the injuries were serious.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office have charged 42-year-old Wallace David Lee for the murders of two people discovered killed at a residence on Meadowbrook Ln. Thursday morning. Lee was arrested Friday and charged with with two counts of malice murder and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime for his suspected role in the deaths of 33-year-old Meghan Bowen and 39-year-old James Harden. On Thursday, the GBI’s Douglas regional office was requested by the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office to assist in the investigation. The bodies of Harden and…

Douglas police arrested a suspect this week they say is responsible for an armed robbery that occurred in the early morning hours at a local store. Officials reported the department responded to Aden’s Minit Market, 1020 E. Baker Hwy., around 12:45 a.m. on Nov. 15 in reference to a robbery. Officers were advised that a black male with dread locks, wearing a grey hooded jacket, entered the business, and proceeded to the drink cooler. The offender got a drink out of the cooler and approached the counter. When the store clerk opened the cash register, the suspect allegedly produced a…

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who was in Douglas Thursday morning, addressed today a recent error that led to the dissemination of personal voter information to 12 groups throughout Georgia. The following letter from Kemp, which highlights his office’s response to the situation, was provided to Douglas Now by the Coffee County Elections Office.

Since 1998, Hope Outreach Center, with the assistance of the local community, has provided Christmas for hundreds of children who would not have known the joy of the holidays without the concern of others. Each year, Hope Outreach provides Christmas gifts to dozens of local children in need. Each gift tells boys and girls about the greatest gift of all, and it has been the goal of Hope Outreach each Christmas to take time with the children who receive the gifts and make sure they hear the true meaning of Christmas. Through the years, hundreds of children have bowed their…

Sheriff’s officials reported Wednesday the arrest of a Coffee County man believed to be responsible for over a dozen recent thefts of utility trailers that occurred in multiple counties. After a string of utility trailer thefts in Coffee and Bacon Counties, detectives with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and Bacon County Sheriff’s Office worked together to determine who was stealing the trailers. Investigators were able to identify 41-year-old Jim Stacey Davis of Douglas as a suspect, and law enforcement was provided with a description of a vehicle Davis could be driving. Davis was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant…