The mother of a local teen who was randomly shot last summer at an Aiken Walmart has filed a lawsuit against the suspect and his mother.

Ashley Rickard, mother of Ashton Rickard, is seeking damages against suspect Stephen Foreman as well as his mother. The suit blames the suspect for the assault and Stephanie Foreman for not keeping guns away from her son despite his history of mental illness and violence involving firearms.

The suit, filed Thursday in Aiken County’s Court of Common Pleas, provides new details in the shocking violence that erupted on June 7, 2023, at the Walmart on Whiskey Road in Aiken.

The suit says Stephen Foreman approached Ashley Rickard and her 13-year-old daughter while they were shopping and without provocation, shot the teen with a black Colt 1911 .45 caliber handgun.

The bullet from the handgun caused extensive damage to several internal organs and bones of Ashton, leading to significant blood loss and requiring emergency surgery. She remained conscious during the attack and its aftermath, fully aware of the seriousness of the injuries sustained, the suit alleges.

“The bullet from the attack lodged near minor child A.R.’s lumbar spine, where it remains to this day,” the suit says. “The physical and psychological effects of the attack on both minor child A.R. and her mother, Ashley Rickard, are significant and ongoing.”

According to the complaint, 32-year-old Stephen Foreman had a history of mental illness and violent behavior involving firearms. In 2019, he used a “sawed-off shotgun” to assault and hold hostage his family members, including his parents and brother, in their home, the suit says. Stephen Foreman then broke into his brother’s gun safe and took several handguns, subsequently escaping in a black Ford Expedition. He surrendered to police the following day.

Despite this violent episode and the involvement of police, the lawsuit claims that Stephanie Foreman initially assisted officers but later refused to cooperate fully and testify truthfully about the events. As a result, her son was not appropriately punished for his violent crime, the suit says.

The lawsuit alleges that the handgun used in the attack belonged to Stephanie Foreman and she failed to secure it, allowing her violent son to access it. It further alleges that Defendant Stephanie Foreman’s actions were reckless, willful, and wanton.

The lawsuit brings multiple causes of action against the defendants, including assault and battery, negligence, negligent entrustment, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. It seeks judgment for actual damages, punitive damages, costs of the action, and any other relief deemed just and proper by the court.

In the days after the shooting, Solicitor Bill Weeks addressed the shooting and lack of prison time For Stephen Foreman in the 2019 incident.

Weeks said Foreman’s family wanted immediate help for him and didn’t want him in jail. He said they didn’t cooperate with prosecutors like they should have.

So prosecutors allowed him to plead guilty to two counts of pointing and presenting a firearm and sent him to the newly-formed mental health court, which works similarly to drug court, which included counseling and staying out of trouble.

“I was told he was the poster child for the mental health court and graduated from it,” Weeks said. Because Foreman completed the program, the charges were expunged from his record.

Foreman remains behind bars at the Aiken County Detention Center on charges of attempted murder and weapon possession.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe account for Ashton’s medical costs has raised over $11,000 of a $100,000 goal.

The post Mother of Aiken Walmart Shooting Victim Files Suit Against Shooter & His Mother appeared first on AugustaCrime.com.

A drug bust on two Augusta gangs led to the recovery Friday of over a pound of fentanyl, enough to kill every citizen of the Garden City.

Three were arrested, while two others fled, as Richmond County sheriff’s investigators executed search warrants on two homes. The suspects were members of hybrid criminal gangs identified as the TRVP Moneyy and Only with True Thugs (aka O-DUB), according to authorities.

Narcotics officers uncovered a fentanyl press lab being operated at a home on Kaufman Drive, just a mile and a half from Hillcrest Memorial Park.  Additional seizures were made at 6 Whitney Court, which is near the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.

Narcotics agents sent in a drug-sniffing dog at the three-bedroom home on Kaufman Drive, and the canine quickly hit on some pine straw along the fence line in the yard. Officers searched under the pine needles and found a plastic container with the bulk of the fentanyl as well as crack cocaine, authorities said. A smaller amount of fentanyl was uncovered inside the kitchen of the home, along with a Glock semi-automatic gun.

Travis Lavert Shubert, 39, Deniodge Allen, 17, and John Dazal Drayton, 34, were all arrested on drug and weapons charges while authorities are searching for 30-year-old Demond Jackson and 38-year-old Vander Mingledolph on similar charges. (Story continues below.)

A search of Drayton’s vehicle turned up a back pack containing 103 grams of marijuana as 47 Oxycodone pills.

All of the suspects are from Augusta except Allen, who is  from Aiken. Four of the five suspects are felons with previous convictions for burglary (Jackson), aggravated assault (Drayton), possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (Mingledolph) and possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Shubert).

Everyone but Drayton were charged with unlawful gang activity, accused of participating in a fentanyl trafficking business to increase their status within the criminal organizations.

The charges:

John Dazal Drayton – Trafficking fentanyl, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute, weapon possession, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and hold for probation or parole.

Travis Lavert Shubert – Trafficking fentanyl, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, unlawful street gang activity, weapon possession and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Deniodge Allen – Trafficking fentanyl, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, theft by receiving stolen property, weapon possession, and unlawful street gang activity.

Demond Jackson – Trafficking fentanyl, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, unlawful street gang activity, weapon possession and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Vander Mingledolph – Trafficking fentanyl, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, unlawful street gang activity, weapon possession and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The fentanyl seizure is crucial since the drug has led to an increasing number of deaths in the area and across the nation.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Illicit fentanyl, primarily manufactured in foreign clandestine labs and smuggled into the United States through Mexico, is being distributed across the country and sold on the illegal drug market.

“Fentanyl is being mixed in with other illicit drugs to increase the potency of the drug, sold as powders and nasal sprays, and increasingly pressed into pills made to look like legitimate prescription opioids,” the DEA said on its website. “Because there is no official oversight or quality control, these counterfeit pills often contain lethal doses of fentanyl, with none of the promised drug.”

One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people, the DEA says. One pound of fentanyl is the same as nearly a half a kilogram of the drug, meaning last week’s haul contained enough of the drug to kill the estimated 202,000 residents of Augusta.

The O-DUB gang has been described as one of the oldest Richmond County gangs. According to media reports from 2017, the gang is known to operate in the Barton Village neighborhood and often tattoo themselves with the letters BVS, which stands for Barton Village Soldier.

Last October, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office announced the results of a two-year operation called “Operation No Loyalty” to dismantle a violent drug-trafficking organization in the Augusta area. Sixty people were targeted in a two-phase operation, netting multiple arrests, seizures of stolen firearms as well as large amounts of narcotics. At the time, authorities said a third phase was underway.

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An Augusta man wanted for questioning in a woman’s murder killed himself Monday night after a chase down Washington Road, authorities said.

Tarance Revell, 46, was being sought in the shooting death of 46-year-old Latoya Price on Algernon Circle. She was found at the home around 6 p.m. Monday and Revell quickly became a suspect.

“At 9:53 pm, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office located a suspect in the homicide driving the victim’s vehicle,” sheriff’s Sgt. Caleb Lee said.

“The suspect initiated a traffic pursuit which ended on the 3100 block of Washington Road. The Georgia State Patrol assisted in the pursuit. When Deputies approached the suspect’s vehicle, they observed he had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased.”

Revell and Price are pictured together in a longtime relationship, according to their Facebook profiles. Revell, who was listed as 6’9″ tall in booking reports, has been arrested several times in Richmond and Columbia counties for cocaine possession, drunk driving, open container and driving on a suspended license.

In his last Facebook post, dated Dec. 23, 2023, Revell joked about going “postal.”

“I laugh to myself about a lot of s**t..cause yall dont think I will go postal,” he wrote. “Im waiting on the right time…licking the stamp right now..ijk”

Autopsies are planned at the GBI lab in Atlanta for Revell and Price, according to Chief Deputy Coroner Kenneth Boose Sr.

The sheriff’s office has not commented on a possible motive in the murder, but the chase happened in the middle of Masters Week when visitors flock to Washington Road.

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A celebrated MCG professor has been arrested for sexual battery on a teenager inside the locker room at the Wilson Family YMCA on Wheeler Road.

Dr. William Hernando Salazar, 65, was charged April 4 with sexual battery. He is listed as a professor of Medicine and Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Augusta University-Medical College of Georgia, according to his LinkedIn page. However, Augusta University says he has not worked there for several months. (See statement at bottom.)

Authorities say he was inside the gym at the YMCA at 3 p.m. on March 25 when the crime occurred.

The 17-year-old victim told officers that he was showering when he saw the older man watching him through the shower curtain.  As he continued showering, the suspect undressed into only a towel. When the teen exited the shower in only a towel, the suspect moved closer to him. The victim moved down a few lockers and the suspect followed him, approached him and rubbed the teen’s buttocks and penis, authorities said.

An investigation into the incident led to Dr. Salazar’s arrest last Thursday for sexual battery, a misdemeanor. He was released from the Charles B. Webster Detention Center after paying a cash bond.

Dr. Salazar made news last year with the opening of Centro Medico, a new clinical space on Merry Street, which offers services to underserved populations in Augusta.  Dr. Salazar was credited with spearheading the project while serving as president of Asociación Latina de Servicios del CSRA (ALAS) and medical director of Clinica Latina.

“It’s been a work of love and effort and a wonderful team collaboration,” Salazar said at the time. “The beauty of working with med students, PA and other College of Allied Health Sciences students, is that they have a sense of ownership, and we’ll provide the best care that we can to our patients.”

Here is a statement from Augusta University: “The Augusta University Police Department was notified by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office that a former faculty member has been arrested for an alleged incident that occurred at a location that is not affiliated with the university and which allegedly took place several months after his employment at the university ended. The university will cooperate with the Sheriff’s Office and other authorities involved in the matter as requested.”

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Richmond County authorities recovered a local mother’s newborn baby Wednesday night after a carjacker took off with her vehicle and the 2-week old child inside.

The auto theft took place around 9 p.m. Wednesday on the 2100 block of A Street, sheriff’s Sgt. Caleb Lee said. The mother told officers that she was unloading her vehicle when the suspect got in and drove off. The victim’s two-week old child was still in the vehicle.

“Deputies immediately began searching for the vehicle and child locating both approximately 15 minutes later near Lake Olmstead,” Sgt. Lee said.

The subject abandoned the vehicle and the child was turned back over to the mother uninjured. The hunt for the suspect continued into the evening with no description available.

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Robert McBride was just 15 when he allegedly killed a man on Peach Orchard Road in Augusta near a gas station. That was October 2022.

The juvenile then fled to Aiken County and shot at deputies three weeks later when they tried to capture the murder suspect during a gunfight on Storm Branch Road in Beech Island. A bullet landed in the neck area of a deputy, but the officer miraculously survived because of his bulletproof vest. McBride was not injured.

This week, McBride was transported from a juvenile facility to the Aiken County Detention Center. A judge ordered the violent teen to be tried as an adult, leading to his transfer to adult jail and the release of his name and photo, sheriff’s Capt. Eric Abdullah said. McBride is now 17.

The 17 year old is charged with five counts of attempted murder, weapon possession and possession of a stolen pistol.

Details of both cases. Nathaniel Mack, 29, was shot across the street from the Circle K on Peach Orchard Road in Augusta around 3 a.m. Oct. 10, 2022. The victim ran inside the gas station, where he collapsed and died.

The mother of the victim’s children says Mack was a kind father to his three kids and had a good heart. She said he was on his way home from his aunt’s house.

On Oct. 28, the Aiken County deputy was grazed by a bullet in an afternoon shootout with the teen. The deputy was also grazed in the forearm when shots were fired on Storm Branch Road in Beech Island. The officer’s name was not released because he handles sensitive cases.

The teen suspect was taken into custody and held at the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice, where he has remained until his transfer to ACDC on Monday.

It is not clear when or if McBride will be extradited to face the murder charges in Richmond County, but it’s likely to happen only after South Carolina has finished with him.

The post Augusta Teen Murder Suspect Tried to Kill Aiken Deputies in 2022, Cops Say appeared first on AugustaCrime.com.

Columbia County authorities have arrested a woman for allegedly taking a phone and wallet that a Walmart customer mistakenly left Tuesday at a self-checkout register in Grovetown.

And the woman lists Walmart as her employer!

Seriah Robinson, 23, of Augusta, was charged Friday with theft of found or mislaid property. She quickly made a $1,100 bond and was released. She has no previous criminal record in the CSRA.

Posts of the woman taking the items went viral with hundreds of shares and people ridiculing the suspect.

“She was tested and failed,” Tony Wilson wrote.

Linda Pilcher noted the woman’s Christian-themed T-Shirt: “Wearing a shirt with a Cross yet going against ‘Thou Shall Not Steal.’ Hypocrisy!”

For her part, Robinson went on social media to apologize, saying, “Not my proudest moment but definitely a learning experience. My deepest apologies to the young man whose wallet I took it wasn’t right regardless of the circumstances. I am human and I do make mistakes. But I am grateful that God’s grace and mercy is everlasting. And He’s going to get the glory at the end of the day from my life.”

What are you supposed to do when you find property that isn’t yours? Local resident Denise Atkinson recounted what she did in a similar situation when she found a customer’s wallet.

“(I) went to customer service, had them call him over the intercom and waited there till he showed up just to make sure he got his wallet back!” she wrote.

Sheriff’s Maj. Steve Morris addressed the issue a decade ago when a local public defender was arrested for holding onto a $10,500 diamond ring she found in the parking lot of the Grovetown Cracker Barrel.

“When someone finds property that doesn’t belong to them, … then they have to, by law, take reasonable measures to restore that property to its  owner,” Maj. Morris said.

Georgia Law O.C.G.A. §16-8-6 reads as follows: “A person commits the offense of theft of lost or mislaid property when he comes into control of property that he knows or learns to have been lost or mislaid and appropriates the property to his own use without first taking reasonable measures to restore the property to the owner.”

In this week’s Grovetown case,  a 39-year-old man said he placed his phone and wallet on the register while bagging up his items on Tuesday evening. He placed his items in the shopping cart and exited the store.
“After placing his items in his vehicle, he realized he left his phone and wallet in the store,” a report says. “Upon returning to the store to get his items, he discovered they were gone. He checked with the clerk at customer service to see if anyone had turned them in. They had not.”

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An Augusta teen was killed Sunday night while out on bond for stabbing his mother and her boyfriend last year.

Terence Pinder, 18 (pictured), was shot on the 1800 block of Hicks Street and died after being rushed to Wellstar MCG Health, according to Coroner Mark Bowen. Two other males were also shot and rushed to the hospital, including a 14-year-old boy. Their conditions were not immediately known.

The coroner says Pinder lived on Eve Street, which is around the corner from where the weekend shootings took place.

Pinder is the same teen accused of stabbing his mother and boyfriend in August on Watkins Street. He was arrested Aug. 14 for two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of possession of weapon possession.

In the stabbings, the 39-year-old woman called authorities to report a verbal altercation with her son. After the woman called 911, Pinder came back to the home and started arguing with her again. At one point, Pinder ran into the kitchen and grabbed a knife, then returned to the bedroom and stabbed the woman in the arm.

A 36-year-old man overheard the commotion and grabbed Pinder to intervene. Pinder then stabbed the man in the back. The woman contacted deputies a second time.

Both the man and woman were taken by ambulance to the hospital for their injuries. Pinder was arrested the same day and eventually released on bond.

When he was 14, Pinder was taken into custody after admitting to stabbing her mother’s boyfriend. The teen told deputies that he witnessed the man attacking his mother and reacted to defend her, stabbing the man six times with a small yellow pocketknife, according to a sheriff’s report.

(Note: If you have a better photo of Terence or a memory to share, please text it to 803-487-3224.)

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Richmond County authorities made no arrests at the Augusta National during the Masters golf tournament for the second year in a row.

But a loud police response just outside the course on Washington Road was heard during TV coverage of Sunday’s final round, with sirens punctuating the golf course. It came around 4:22 p.m. Sunday as fire engines and first responders rushed to a serious single-vehicle rollover crash with injuries on Riverwatch Parkway. Authorities say a reckless driver was traveling westbound at mile marker 2, left the roadway on the north shoulder and struck an embankment causing the vehicle to flip and come to rest on its roof. Extrication was needed to remove three out of the four occupants.

Sheriff’s Capt. Scott Gay said deputies were also involved with a chase involving a DUI suspect that started on Interstate 20. According to booking records, 27-year-old Trase Sowell was charged with DUI and reckless driving around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, just as the Masters Tournament was wrapping up.

Sowell was captured on Washington Road at Berckmans Road, just outside the course. He was later released on bond on the misdemeanor charges. A Facebook page for the Augusta man describes him as the owner of a local trail design company.

The chase was at least the second incident during the tournament along Washington Road. Last Monday night, murder suspect Tarance Revell killed himself after a chase down Washington Road. The 46-year-old man was being sought in the shooting death of his girlfriend Latoya Price on Algernon Circle, where her body was found that day.

Inside the esteemed golf course, security had a mix of fans who were escorted out this week after over-consuming alcohol and violating course conduct rules, Capt. Gay said. Those were handled by the security team with Securitas.

On Sunday, alcohol is served later in the day, which helps with cutting down on bad behavior, Capt. Gay said. Still, nobody did anything worthy of criminal charges like they have in previous years, with some fans making headlines for doing snow angels in the sand bunkers or trying to take a handful of sand as a souvenir.

“I think people are our here to have a good time,” he said. “People are seeing sunlight and things like that. I think they partake a little bit more than they should because it is the start of spring. … They had some that over consumed, but not to the extent that we needed to charge them.”

Fans who are escorted out lose their badge, which his returned to the club with a description of the event.

During the tournament, Masters fans have their pick of domestic light beer, import beer, white wine and their unique Crow’s Nest, a proprietary blend brewed exclusively for the Masters.

Alcohol sales are not unique to the Augusta National. In fact, golf and alcohol continue to make headlines. In February, an Arizona news outlet covering the WM Phoenix Open noted that “it is clear that golf and alcohol are frequent companions.”

“Through the years this tournament, in particular, has produced several viral instances of intoxicated people streaking on the course or jumping into the water,” the reporters wrote. “This year, the alcohol undoubtedly has made it harder to keep balance in the slippery and muddy conditions.”

Because the Phoenix Open is known for raucous crowds and heavy alcohol consumption, officials made the decision this year to stop selling alcohol in the early afternoon Saturday in the interest of crowd control.

In Augusta, Capt. Gay said they follow other tournaments and evaluate the problems they have. “We try to respond and make sure those types of problems don’t happen at the Masters,” he said.

For the 2024 Masters, it was mission accomplished.

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A routine visit to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office headquarters took a violent turn Tuesday when Bobby Burnett, seeking a background check, fled the scene, and dragged a lieutenant with his vehicle.

The incident unfolded shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday at the headquarters building located on County Camp Road in Appling. According to Maj. Steve Morris with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Burnett entered the headquarters building with the intention of requesting a background check. However, during the process, it was discovered that Burnett had an active probation violation warrant against him.

Upon learning of the warrant, Burnett abruptly left the building and headed towards his vehicle. Two officers attempted to intervene, but Burnett ignored their commands and drove away, dragging Lt. Brandon Thacker along County Camp Road for about 100 yards before Thacker managed to break free from the vehicle.

Because of a broken window on the suspect’s car, Lt. Thacker sliced his arm and lost a lot of blood, Maj. Morris said. Quick action by dispatchers in the Real Time Crime Center ensured that deputies were promptly alerted about the incident, providing them with crucial details such as the vehicle description and direction of travel.

A deputy spotted Burnett’s vehicle on Columbia Road at South Old Belair Road, initiating a brief pursuit. The pursuit concluded when Georgia State Patrol (GSP) officers assisted by executing a pursuit intervention technique (PIT) maneuver, bringing Burnett’s vehicle to a stop on Warren Road in Richmond County.

Burnett now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault involving a law enforcement officer, obstruction and fleeing police.

Emergency medical responders, including Ambulance and Fire Rescue units, provided immediate medical attention at the scene. Lt. Thacker was subsequently transported to AU Medical Center, where he is currently listed in stable condition.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation into the incident.

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A Richmond County deputy was arrested for domestic violence on Monday night at his home in Columbia County, authorities said.

Deputy Terence Driggers, 33, was arrested after allegedly punching his live-in girlfriend in the face and throwing their daughter to the ground inside their home on Bealwood Drive in Harlem, authorities said. The assault left his children’s mother with bruising and swelling on her eye. The daughter suffered visible cuts to her arm and abdomen, according to arrest warrants.

Harlem police charged him with two counts of battery – family violence and one count of cruelty to children in the third degree. The child cruelty occurred because his young son who is named for him was in the home and witnessed the domestic violence, a warrant says.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office released a statement following the arrest, saying the Internal Affairs Division was notified of the arrest. Deputy Driggers resigned on Tuesday.

“Deputy Driggers was off duty at the time of the incident,” Tuesday’s statement said. “Deputy Driggers began his employment with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office on March 14, 2015. Deputy Driggers was assigned to Road Patrol.”

The RCSO statement says the incident will follow the same course as any other criminal investigation.

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An Aiken man who got a light sentence for previous gun violence has been charged in a fatal shooting from last Halloween on Sumter Street.

Jemaurea Johnson, 20, was charged Tuesday with murder in the killing of 46-year-old Kenneth Jones. More arrests are expected.

The victim was killed on Oct. 31, 2023. Aiken Public Safety Officers responded to a shooting that morning near the intersection of Sumter Street and Sundy Avenue and found the victim beside the road. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Johnson is familiar to law enforcement after being arrested on two counts of attempted murder and other charges in January 2022 for a shooting on York Street. The following year, prosecutors dismissed the attempted murder charges and he pled guilty to discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle and unlawful carrying a pistol. A judge gave him credit for time in jail and sentenced him to three years in prison.

Even after his early release from prison, Johnson continued his criminal ways. In January 2024, he was arrested in Richmond County for fleeing police, leaving the scene of an accident, theft by receiving stolen property and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. In late February, North Augusta cops arrested him for failure to stop for blue light, leaving the scene of an accident, possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless driving, unlawful carrying of a pistol, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and marijuana possession. There are also reports that the gun they found on him was linked to Jones’ murder.

In March, he was placed on probation in South Carolina for 18 months.

The post Aiken Felon Arrested in Last Year’s Halloween Murder appeared first on AugustaCrime.com.

The cousin of murder suspect Daniel Harmon is wanted in connection with the killing of Aiken County victim Jamilla Smith, whose body has not been recovered.

Bryan Alexander Hampton Jr., 35, of Augusta, is being sought for accessory after the fact to murder, authorities said. He is described as a black male, approximately 6’2” tall, 160 pounds, black hair and brown eyes. Hampton has ties to Augusta and Aiken County.

In December, Aiken County authorities charged Harmon with her murder while they continue searching for her. Harmon was her abusive ex-boyfriend who had blood in his rented vehicle.

Harmon was taken into custody Dec. 5 for domestic violence and Smith’s family have not heard from her since reporting her missing. Later, in the missing person investigation, investigators obtained an arrested warrant charging Harmon with kidnapping her.

Authorities say Harmon likely killed the victim on the evening of Dec. 2 in the area of 425 Old Jackson Highway in the Jackson area. Smith called 911, stating her ex-boyfriend broke into her house and was chasing her down the road. On the 911 call, Smith sounded out of breath.

“When the dispatcher asks her where she will meet the deputy, a car engine can be heard revving before Jamilla is heard screaming and the phone appears to drop,” authorities said in a murder affidavit. “A male voice is heard telling Jamilla to get into the car and he will take her to the emergency room. Jamilla continues to scream and can be heard yelling no, don’t touch me, don’t hurt me please, and you hit me.”

“Search warrants were obtained for Jamilla Smith’s cell phone and the results show no activity since December 2,” the report says.

Authorities say they believe Harmon killed her, especially since her family had not heard from her in weeks. Also, Harmon was found to have hit Jamilla Smith with a vehicle and did not transport her to the hospital.

If anyone has any information on this investigation, the whereabouts of Hampton, they are encouraged to contact the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office at 803-648-6811. Tipsters can also send a message about this case by going to www.aikencountysheriff.net .

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The body that was found Thursday night behind Beulah Grove Baptist Church has been identified as a missing Augusta man.

No foul play is suspected in the death of 80-year-old Roy Jones of Spruce Street, according to Coroner Mark Bowen. He was last seen on Monday in the area of the 800 block of Laney Walker Boulevard. According to a missing flyer, he was diagnosed with dementia and walked with a limp, according to authorities said.

On Thursday night, his body was discovered behind Beulah Grove Baptist Church at Poplar Street and Hunter Street in Augusta. Sheriff’s officials received a report of a deceased individual in the 1600 block of Hunter Street at 7:40 p.m. Thursday.  The coroner’s office arrived at the location at 9:07 p.m.

According to a sheriff’s report, Christine Jones reported him missing on Monday afternoon. She told authorities that she was in another room when Roy Jones left the home.

“Christine Jones stated that she went out and attempted to find him but was unable to,” the report says. “Christine Jones stated that she believes he is in the main building of the area, as he often goes there and gets drunk, but has no means of getting inside the building as she doesn’t have a keycard to get inside. Christine Jones is concerned as he has never been gone this long and he has dementia.”

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An Augusta man became the city’s latest pedestrian to be killed, a growing problem that led to over a dozen deaths last year.

Tony Maurice Walker, 38, was trying to cross Deans Bridge Road just after midnight Friday when he was struck by a vehicle. He was pronounced dead at 12:33 a.m. Friday, Coroner Mark Bowen said.

Walker was being remembered online by friends and family. “Tony was a good person and full of life,” said MizLe Le on Facebook.

“He was in such good spirit last time I seen him. Gave me the biggest hug,” Janel Thomas said.

At least two other pedestrians have died in Richmond County this year, including the April 4 death of Guatemala native Filadelfo Raul Chiquin-Jalal on Gordon Highway and the Feb. 4 death of Augusta resident Eric L. Jenkins on Peach Orchard Road.

Last year, the coroner sent out press releases on 17 pedestrian deaths.

Note: If you have a better photo of Tony Walker to share, please text it to 803-487-3224.

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The cousin of murder suspect Daniel Harmon surrendered to Aiken County authorities on Friday on allegations he helped cover up the slaying of Jamilla Smith.

Bryan Alexander Hampton Jr., 35, of Augusta, is charged with accessory after the fact to murder. Authorities say Hampton knew that Harmon had killed his ex-girlfriend and provided his cousin with transportation in early December. He also purchased cell phones and assisted with the disposal of Smith’s remains, according to an arrest warrant. Hampton did this with the intent of helping him avoid consequences of his crime, the warrant says.

Hampton is being held without bond at the Aiken County Detention Center.

Even though he is accused of assisting with the disposal of Smith’s remains, authorities have not yet found her body. Sheriff’s Capt. Eric Abdullah said they have followed every lead, searching wooded areas, private property and the Savannah River.

Harmon was taken into custody Dec. 5 on an earlier warrant for domestic violence, which were documented in graphic photos taken by the victim and send to sheriff’s officers. Later, in the missing person investigation, officers charged Harmon with kidnapping and murder.

Authorities say Harmon likely killed his ex-girlfriend on the evening of Dec. 2 in the area of 425 Old Jackson Highway in the Jackson area. Smith called 911, stating her ex-boyfriend broke into her house and was chasing her down the road. On the 911 call, Smith sounded out of breath.

“When the dispatcher asks her where she will meet the deputy, a car engine can be heard revving before Jamilla is heard screaming and the phone appears to drop,” authorities said in a murder affidavit. “A male voice is heard telling Jamilla to get into the car and he will take her to the emergency room. Jamilla continues to scream and can be heard yelling no, don’t touch me, don’t hurt me please, and you hit me.”

Meanwhile, authorities confirmed that Smith had filed an earlier domestic violence report against Harmon with photos being sent to investigators showing her injuries. In the photos, Smith is shown with a swollen face and bruises on other parts of her body. But the domestic violence warrant was never served before her death.

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A Harlem man pleaded guilty Friday to fatally stabbing his wife in the back last year, telling the court he didn’t recall doing it.

“I had to be the one that done it,” Robert Bennett said in a statement to Columbia County Judge J. Grady Blanchard. “I just don’t recall the moment. If I done it, I had to do it out of love because I remember all the suffering.”

Authorities said he stabbed 60-year-old Michelle “Shelly” Bennett in the back with a large kitchen knife and then called 911 to report it. When officers arrived at the home off Gordon Highway on Jan. 18, 2023, they found the woman in the dining room, slumped over the table with a large kitchen knife in her back. EMS and Fire Rescue worked on the victim with unsuccessful results.

In court Friday, Bennett stood with defense attorney Robert T. Homlar and took responsibility. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and weapon possession. Judge Blanchard sentenced him to 25 years, effectively a life sentence for the elderly man. He had no previous record and there were no earlier calls of domestic violence to the home.

In a three-page confession that was written with the help of a cellmate, Bennett explained that his second wife suffered greatly from diabetes as well as injuries from a car wreck, which broke her back in three places and led to swollen lymph glands.

He explained that he watched his first wife, Earlene, suffer for 22 years from nerve problems, stomach cancer and cancer under the kidneys. Bennett said that required him to care for their young children by himself while holding down a full-time job as the “meat man” at Winn Dixie, where he worked for nearly five decades.

Two days before his first wife’s death, she told him to “find someone to finish his life with.” So when he met Michelle – 22 years younger than him – at the Cracker Barrel on Dyer Parkway, he dated her and eventually made her his wife.

“My children was totally against it but I needed a companion and I was happy with Shelly and that over shadowed their feelings,” he said. “Shelly and I enjoyed one another over the years. Her sickness and ailment set in and took a toll on her. She was so happy and outgoing until the pains of her ailments set in. Then she would cry herself to sleep at times.”

Bennett explained that his wife’s pain only got worse with three stints in one leg and two in the other. Her diabetes was off the charts, and marijuana only helped for so long. Before the car wreck, her body had completely rejected food and she required a feeding syringe.

“We all grieved for her on a daily basis because she had gotten so bad off. It was hard to see her in this state of being. My wife suffered day in and day out,” he said. “I loved my wife dearly. Possibly I snapped out of love and ended her pain for us. I feel if I had done it, it had to be out of love because of all the suffering we experienced.”

Bennett told the judge he never had any “criminal intentions with my wife.”

“Maybe I lost control because I didn’t want any more suffering for Shelly,” he said in his statement. “ I take full responsibility for my actions. I just can’t recall the event step by step.”

At the end of his statement, Bennett held out hope for a sentence that would free him someday.

“If I am ever released, I’d like to spend time with my grandchildren,” he said. “Every time I think about Shelly, I bout start crying.”

Here is Robert Bennett’s complete statement to the court:

“For a tragedy (sic) such as mine it’s become overwhelming. I believe in capital punishment and I believe in being truthful and honest. I had to be the one that done it. I just don’t recall the moment. If I done it, I had to do it out of love because I remember all the the suffering. 

Let me start off with my first wife of 44 yrs. Earlene Bennett whom discovered a nerve problem, stomach cancer and cancer under the kidneys which was too dangerous to approach in operations. 

Earlene suffered terribly for 24 our of 44 yrs of marriage. I had her two sisters and a good friend help me with the daily care for my first wife Earlene. Most of our marriage, I had to care for our young children as well like the day to day care, pick up and drop off to the day care and school while holding down a full time job as the meat man at Winn Dixie. I worked at Winn Dixie for 48 years. 

Two days before Earlene died, she told me to find someone to finish my life out with. She gave me the OK to find another wife. 

I met Shelly. She was a server at the Cracker Barrel on Dyer Parkway. She waited on our table, me and my buddy Chuck. We had words, exchanged information and got to know one another. We dated for about two yrs before we became close enough for me to ask for her hand in marriage. 

My children was totally against it but I needed a companion and I was happy with Shelly and that over shadowed their feelings.

Shelly and I enjoyed one another over the years. Her sickness and ailment set in and took a toll on her. She was so happy and outgoing until the pains of her ailments set in. Then she would cry herself to sleep at times.  The pain had gotten worser and worser. Shelly had three stints in one leg and two in the other. Her diabetes was off the charts. 

We all grieved for her on a daily basis because she had gotten so bad off. It was hard to see her in this state of being. My wife suffered day in and day out. I loved my wife dearly.

Possibly I snapped out of love and ended her pain for us. I feel if I had done it, it had to be out of love because of all the suffering we experienced. 

Shelly and I never lost love for one another. Never having a misunderstanding or any arguments. Marijuana would help occasionally, but then it got to where it was not helping. The doctors said that there was nothing that they could give her because one medication would coincide with the other.

Shelly’s lymph glands had swollen beyond reason following a car wreck. He back was broken in three places. Medical records would speak for themself. Her pains were unbearable for her and us, and there was nothing the doctors could do to ease her suffering and pain.

My wife is no longer suffering but at peace, but now I’m suffering more than before because of it. I had no criminal intentions with my wife ever.

I forgot to mention that my wife Shelly had feeding tubes 4 month before the car wreck. Her body started rejecting food along with all the other ailments at home. She’d eat and spit it up. Her food was administered with a feeding syringe.

She had gotten so bad, her pains and pressured were unpredictable.  Maybe I lost control because I didn’t want any more suffering for Shelly.  I take full responsibility for my actions. I just can’t recall the event step by step.

No matter what anyone may think, I loved my wife beyond reason. With all the ailments and pain caused a lot of agony and grief. But I never lost love for Shelly. 

If I am ever released, I’d like to spend time with my grandchildren. Everytime I think about Shelly, I bout start crying.”

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Bo Johnson heard gunfire in south Augusta on Sunday afternoon while putting up campaign signs for sheriff and jumped into action.

While his wife dialed 911, Johnson pursued the suspect vehicle through the county and provided crucial information that he said led to two arrests in a Circle K shooting on Peach Orchard Road. The driver of the suspect vehicle, and possibly the triggerman, fled and was not captured, Johnson said.

In a brief press release, sheriff’s Sgt. John Perry said the shooting victim was hospitalized. The RCSO release did not mention any arrests or the assistance of Johnson, who is trying to unseat Sheriff Richard Roundtree.

“I was doing my civic duty,” Johnson said Sunday night. “Even though I am retired, I am still a police officer. I am still a law enforcement officer, and when I see a felony committed in my presence, I feel an obligation to respond.”

Returning to Circle K, Johnson said talked with officers and tried to help secure the shell casings that littered the parking lot. He said he told the officers “good job” as they work with limited resources.

Johnson, a former RCSO deputy and federal air marshal, will appear on the ballot May 21 in the Democrat nomination for sheriff. Both Johnson and Sgt. Gino Brantley with the Marshal’s Office are running against Roundtree. The winner may face Independent Richard Dixon in November if Dixon obtains the required signatures to appear on the ballot.

When he announced his run for sheriff, Johnson pledged to work on hiring and retaining qualified personnel, improving morale, fostering a positive and supportive work environment, and providing strong, ethical, and visionary leadership to guide the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office toward positive change.

On Sunday, he said the shooting was a sign to him of how brazen criminals have become under the current leadership.

“What really surprised me is that it took place this much south in Richmond County,” he said. “You never would have seen something like this in broad daylight. That just shows you how blatant the criminals have gotten here in Richmond County without getting checked, when there is no fear for reprisal.”

While Sheriff Roundtree did not call to thank him for Sunday’s help, he said the Circle K manager did.

“The manager at Circle K, Mr. James, he thanked me,” Johnson said. “He said ‘Great job, this is what we need.’ I said, ‘Yeah, you have to hold people accountable.’”

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An Augusta man was fatally shot Sunday night at Benson Apartments in Hephzibah, and authorities have identified a suspect.

Gregory Campbell, 24, of Barrow Drive, Augusta, was shot at least one time and transported to Wellstar MCG Health, where he was pronounced dead at 11:34 p.m. Sunday, Coroner Mark Bowen said.

Authorities have identified a suspect in the killing but have not named him or announced his arrest.

The killing happened at 304 Williamsburg Drive in Hephzibah at the Benson Apartments off Tobacco Road. It the same location where a murder happened in 2020 when 30-year-old Joshua Hadnot was killed. Authorities arrested Jeremiah Long in that 2020 case. Long, 29, remains in jail awaiting trial on charges of murder, aggravated assault, and weapon possession.

(Note: If you have a photo or memory of Gregory Campbell to share, please text it to 803-487-3224.)

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A person was shot outside the Hitchcock Animal Hospital on Tuesday afternoon and authorities are asking the public’s help in locating the occupants from a vehicle of interest.

The victim’s injuries were not life-threatening and they are being treated at a local hospital, said Lt. Daymon L. Spann, spokesperson for the Aiken Department of Public Safety. A press release did not provide a name or sex of the victim.

The incident happened around 3:26 p.m. Tuesday in the facility’s parking lot, located on Trail Ridge Road and Hitchcock Parkway. As of now, the identity of the assailant remains unknown.

In a bid to aid the investigation, the Aiken Department of Public Safety has released a photo of a vehicle of interest believed to be connected to the incident. Authorities are appealing to the public for any information regarding the whereabouts of the vehicle or its occupants.

Individuals with information pertinent to the case are encouraged to contact the Aiken Department of Public Safety at (803) 642-7620. Alternatively, anonymous tips can be submitted online through the city’s official website.

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