Jared Highsmith, the man arrested last month for allegedly placing two tracking devices under his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle, is back in jail on a contempt order for allegedly violating a Temporary Restraining Order when the crime was said to have occurred. The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office arrested Highsmith on July 8 after being contacted by Highsmith’s ex-girlfriend, who claimed that she found a tracking device under her vehicle. While the female and deputy were speaking, the deputy advised that she check again for a second device after she began to have concerns about him knowing her location at certain…
Author: Staff Reports
The Douglas Police Department has arrested a second suspect, 20-year-old Jo-Dorn Wright, on murder charges for the 2021 death of Joshua Lashawn Brown. Brown was discovered deceased on July 15, 2021, at Georgian Wood Apartments on McNeil Drive in Douglas. He was 21 years old at the time of his death. At the time, no further details were released, including the cause of death. According to a copy of two arrest warrants, Brown succumbed to his injuries after “being shot numerous times in the body and upper body.” Wright has been charged with…
A second suspect, Zykirria Kenyonna Jackson, has been arrested on one count of RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), with Douglas Police Department investigators still seeking three other wanted individuals charged in the case. Last week, the DPD released the names of five individuals charged with “various white-collar crimes,” including RICO, accusing the suspects of being “related to the forgery of numerous checks all over Georgia.” Jackson, listed as 19 years old, is the second suspect to be apprehended, with Macorian Toran Saffold, Jr., age 22, taken into custody on August 4. According…
On Tuesday, August 9, 2022, at approximately 9:00 am. the GBI Douglas Regional Office was requested by the Waycross Regional Youth Detention Center to investigate a juvenile that was reported unresponsive. Preliminary information indicates that a juvenile was in the presence of a staff member and other juveniles at the facility when he lost consciousness. EMS was contacted and the juvenile was transported to Memorial Health Hospital in Savannah, Georgia for treatment. Sources report to DouglasNow that the juvenile, who is from Douglas, has since passed away. This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information…
The Lady Trojans got off to a great start in 2022 with a 6-4 win over visiting Thomas County Central in a scrimmage on Thursday, Aug. 4 at Faircloth Field. Erin Robinson scattered 3 hits through 5 innings and only allowed 1 earned run striking out 7 Lady Jackets from the circle. Karlee Thomas closed the door with a pair of innings in relief striking out 3. The Lady Trojans pounded out 10 hits including 2 each by Imani Paulk, Kaci Thacker, and Hanna Hutchison. Hannah Capps, Morgan Hodges, Ella Winters, and Morgan Adams all added…
A 61-year-old man from Douglas, identified as Ethan Rogers, was recently arrested on two counts of child molestation by officers from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office. A CCSO deputy reported that on July 29, he was dispatched to a Douglas residence and spoke to a woman who said Rogers had molested her child the previous night. The victim spoke to the deputy and reported that she was at a friend’s house and was riding a four-wheeler with Rogers after he “insisted” he ride on the same ATV as her. According to the report, while Rogers was…
Ryan Duke, the man who was acquitted for the murder of Tara Grinstead in May but currently serving time for concealing her death, will appear in his first hearing this month on his newest charges in Ben Hill County. Douglas Now recently spoke to Duke’s defense counsel Ashleigh Merchant, who stated they were prepared to challenge the indictment, one they claim is time-barred due to the four-year statute of limitations. Less than two weeks after Duke was acquitted of Grinstead’s murder in a two-week trial in Irwin County, prosecutors announced a new indictment, with Duke now facing six…
Several criminal trials will take place in August, including proceedings for defendants charged with murder and aggravated assault. One of the more notable cases on the calendar is that of Michael Clark, who was arrested in April on several felony charges including aggravated assault. Judge Andy Spivey filed an order last month announcing the jury selection date for the case. Clark was initially hit with several charges in April after he allegedly entered a home he previously resided in with his ex-wife, threatened her and a male at the house, and pointed a firearm at the…
According to a recent statewide report, Coffee County ranked second in the most children in foster care based on population. Without population being considered, Coffee County remained in the top 12 counties with the most children currently in the system. The report, compiled with data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) and the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), shows 254 local children per 10k in care as of March 31, 2022. Last year, on the same day, Coffee County reported 208 children per 10k in the system and was ranked…
A local attorney, 45-year-old Marc Gregory Metts, recently spent a weekend in the Coffee County Jail after pleading guilty to a DUI charge for the second time since 2018. According to a copy of the incident report, on December 17, 2021, around 4:21 p.m., a Georgia State Patrol officer was patrolling the area along Georgia Highway 158 around Willis Vickers Road. He reported that as he was traveling east, he observed a silver car off the southern shoulder of the highway facing west. When he drove by, he said he observed the car’s front end stuck in the…