October 20, 2022

The Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office has been awarded a $100,000 sub grant by the State of Georgia that is funded from the federal FY2021 State Homeland Security Program, to assist in confronting violent criminal street gangs that prey on our communities.

According to data pulled from the Georgia Attorney General’s Office website, nearly half of all violent crimes committed in America are gang-related. Gang-member recruitment in Georgia is on the rise with approximately 71,000 validated gang affiliates and over 1,500 suspected gang networks across the state. A 2018 survey conducted by the Georgia Gang Investigators Association reported a rise in gang activity in 157 Georgia counties, with 155 Georgia school districts also reporting suspected gang activity. In 2021 alone, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Gang Task Force investigated 446 gang-related cases across 100 Georgia counties and charged more than 170 gang members. A more concerning trend is the use of social media by criminals as a recruitment tool to specifically target a younger audience. Within the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, law enforcement reports indicate that approximately 50% of the individuals involved in crimes are either associated with, or are actual members of gangs.

The grant received by the District Attorney’s Office will be utilized to fund access to Formulytics, an investigative case file system that assists government agencies in prosecuting organizations that perpetrate violent criminal actions against their communities. This cloud-based platform helps investigators collaborate across jurisdictional boundaries and organizes complex evidence and investigations around the unique requirements of group based prosecutions and Georgia’s Gang Statute. Investigators will be able to address the organized structure of criminal gangs and view them in a bigger picture, rather than investigating gang-related crimes as individual incidents. The gang investigations will exist in an active file tool that tracks gang activity over time, and includes information on gang history, identifiers and members. Past investigative methods relied on investigators having to manually search large paper files or talk with investigators from other agencies known to be working similar cases in order to identify potential investigative links. The Formulytics platform will be available to our law enforcement partners and will allow them to collaborate more easily, as the system will automatically alert investigators of links between complex criminal investigations.

This collaborative District Attorney’s Office – law enforcement initiative, includes participation from all of the sheriff’s offices and police departments within the five counties that comprise the Brunswick Judicial Circuit (Appling, Camden, Glynn, Jeff Davis and Wayne) as well as the regional Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Port Authority Police, Department of Natural Resources, Board of Education and College of Coastal Georgia Police. Following a training session held on October 17, 2022, Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Keith Higgins stated, “The collaborative use of this investigative and intelligence-sharing platform by our law enforcement partners will ultimately improve prosecution of gang-related crimes in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit. I am grateful to Governor Brian Kemp and Harlan Proveaux of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, who awarded the sub grant that makes all of this possible.”

For more information about the Brunswick District Attorney’s Office, visit the new DAO website at www.brunswickda.org.

September 23, 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Ricky Darrell Morrow, 58, of Brunswick, was found guilty of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony following a criminal jury trial that began on September 19, 2022, in Glynn County Superior Court.

On the night of Monday, September 27, 2021, the victim, Michael Allen Propes, 23, of Waycross, GA, and a friend were at the home of Ricky Darrell Morrow on Blythe Island in Glynn County. Morrow, who knew Propes, had invited Propes and his friend to his home to socialize. They were there for about an hour when Morrow indicated to Propes that he was ready to do a shot of methamphetamine which Propes had apparently bought earlier with $100 that Morrow had given him. All three were methamphetamine addicts. Morrow gave Propes’ friend a syringe to prepare a shot of methamphetamine for himself. Morrow then became upset that there should be more methamphetamine than what Propes produced. Propes insisted that was it and he had not shortchanged Morrow. Morrow then walked to another room and returned with a revolver. He again questioned Propes about the quantity of drugs, saying “don’t do me like this.” He then shot Propes in the back one time. The bullet struck Propes in the heart and a lung and he died on scene soon afterwards.

Morrow told Propes’ friend and responding officers that it was an accident and he didn’t mean to shoot Propes; but he never explained how it was an accident. Morrow refused to make a statement to the investigators from the Glynn County Police Department, and he declined to testify at trial.

In his closing argument, Chief Assistant District Attorney Nigel Lush told the jury that this was another example of the tragedy of drug addiction and how guns and drugs don’t mix. “Propes paid the ultimate price for his addiction and Morrow needed to be held responsible for his.” The jury deliberated for 2 hours before returning the guilty verdicts.

Following the jury verdict on September 21, 2022, Superior Court Judge Roger B. Lane sentenced Morrow to life in prison with the possibility of parole plus an additional 5 years in prison for the gun charge. In Georgia, life with the possibility of parole means a person must serve 30 years before becoming eligible for parole. As such, Morrow will be 87 years old when he becomes eligible.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200

September 16, 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that LaBaron King, 18, from Brunswick, pled guilty to Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Handgun by a Person Under the Age of 18 years and Theft by Receiving a Firearm. The non-negotiated guilty plea was entered in Glynn County Superior Court on April 8, 2022 with sentencing delayed until September 16, 2022.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred at approximately 9:30pm on June 6, 2021, when the victim, Jose Gonzalez Jr, 20, also from Brunswick, was walking near the 2900 block of MLK Blvd and talking on his phone with his girlfriend. Gonzalez saw the defendant, King, walking nearby and the two exchanged words as Gonzalez’ girlfriend had previously dated King. King then drew a handgun and started shooting at Gonzalez, who was hit in the hip and fell to the ground. As King fled, Gonzalez drew his gun and returned fire, but King was not hit. The next day, King was located at his grandmother’s house, but he fled from police and threw the handgun in some bushes before he was caught. Police recovered the handgun, which had previously been reported as stolen from a vehicle in Brunswick.

At the time of the offense, King was 16 years of age. Under Georgia law, a person under the age of 17 years of age is considered a juvenile for prosecution purposes, and he was initially charged as such. Subsequently, the District Attorney’s Office successfully argued in Juvenile Court to have the case transferred to Superior Court so that Mr. King could be prosecuted as an adult. According to District Attorney Keith Higgins, “A teenager who uses a firearm to commit a violent crime should be held fully responsible for their actions by being prosecuted as an adult in Superior Court. The harm caused by the violence is the same regardless of their age. The consequences should be the same.”

King was sentenced on September 16, 2022 in Glynn County Superior Court by Judge Stephen D. Kelley to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years on probation.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

September 6, 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Brandon Oneal King, 33, of Baxley, was found guilty in a criminal jury trial that took place on August 31, 2022, in Appling County Superior Court.

King was convicted of Trafficking Methamphetamine following an incident that occurred on December 3, 2020 in Baxley, GA. On that date, officers with the Baxley Police Department were called to a domestic incident at the Donnie Lane Villas that involved King. During the investigation of the incident, a search warrant was obtained for King’s truck, which he had driven to the scene of the domestic incident. During the search of the inside of the truck, officers found a box containing a scale, plastic bags, currency, and 34.875 grams of methamphetamine. Defendant King took the stand at trial and admitted that the box was his, but argued that someone had moved it from another location in the vehicle and had put the methamphetamine, scale, bags and currency inside the box.

Assistant District Attorney Hunter Smith prosecuted the case in Appling County Superior Court, and the jury deliberated approximately two hours before they found the defendant guilty of Trafficking Methamphetamine. Following the deliberations, Superior Court Judge Stephen D. Kelley sentenced King to 30 years, serve 20 in prison, and fined him $200,000.00. Additional charges of Burglary and Aggravated Battery were Nol Prosed by the State prior to trial.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

August 29, 2022

District Attorney (DA) Keith Higgins announces the acceptance of a guilty plea in a 2020 vehicular homicide case.

On August 26, 2022, Brandon Eugene Mack, 35, from Ellenwood, GA, pled guilty to Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree and Hit and Run, both felonies. The charges stem from an accident that occurred on December 25, 2020, at approximately 4:30 am, wherein William Snyder, 45, of Norfolk, VA, along with his wife Megan, two-year old son and twelve-year old nephew, were travelling southbound on I-95, heading to Florida for Christmas. Mrs. Snyder had recently taken over driving when a vehicle driven by Branden Eugene Mack rear-ended the Snyder’s vehicle. The Snyder’s vehicle hit the guard rail and flipped over multiple times. William Snyder was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. He died on scene from blunt impact trauma to his head and neck. No one else was seriously injured in the collision, including Mack.

The Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team investigated the accident. They were able to determine that Mack was travelling at a speed over 120 miles per hour at the time of collision. A bottle of tequila was found in his front passenger compartment. A search warrant obtained for his blood showed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) 6 hours after the collision was .178; therefore, his estimated BAC at the time of the collision was .268. In Georgia, a person is legally impaired at a BAC of .08; so Mack was more than three times the legal limit.

Following the collision, Megan Snyder, unable to initially find her husband, approached Mack who was standing by his vehicle and asked him for help. He refused. He then walked away from the scene. Mack approached a driver who had stopped to assist and told the driver “he didn’t do nothing.” When the driver went to get his phone to call 911, Mack told him not to call 911, and asked to get in his car to drive away. When the driver refused, Mack offered him money. Mack then continued to walk southbound on I-95. Mack then made contact with a second driver who had stopped and knocked on her window. He told her “you guys never saw me.”

Mack was eventually found by law enforcement walking southbound on the interstate and was arrested. Mack had three prior convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Following entry of a non-negotiated guilty plea as to his sentencing, Superior Court Judge Roger B. Lane, sentenced Mack to the maximum of 15 years in prison for the Felony Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree, followed by an additional 5 years on probation for the Felony Hit and Run, to run consecutive to the prison sentence.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

August 4, 2022

The Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office today announced the acceptance of a guilty plea for a Camden County man originally charged in 2021 with nine counts of various sexual offenses, to include Bestiality, Sexual Exploitation of Children, Aggravated Child Molestation, and Aggravated Sexual Battery.

Pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, Clayton Thomas Zamazal, 30, of Woodbine, pled guilty in Camden County Superior Court on July 29, 2022 to one count of Aggravated Child Molestation and one count of Sexual Exploitation of Children. Zamazal pled guilty to the two counts and the remaining seven counts were dismissed.

On the count of Aggravated Child Molestation, Judge Robert W. Guy sentenced Zamazal to serve 40 years in prison, followed by life probation upon release from custody. He was also sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for the offense of Sexual Exploitation of Children, to run concurrent with the sentence for Aggravated Child Molestation. Zamazal will also be required to register as a sex offender.

The charges resulted from the discovery of videos and photographs of a child under the age of 16 years old, by the victim’s parents. According to Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Robert German, “Anytime we can negotiate a plea with a defendant that serves the interests of justice, while saving a young child victim from being re-victimized in court, we will try to do so. Children are too often victims of those who would prey on their innocence, and it is our obligation to ensure these offenders are brought to justice.”

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

July 22, 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announced today that he would not pursue a criminal prosecution with regard to an incident between a Camden County Sheriff’s Deputy and Christopher Paul Raborn.

On Friday, December 10, 2021, Camden County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) personnel were at a residence in Waverly, GA, for the purpose of executing a bench warrant for the arrest of Christopher Raborn. Upon arrival at the residence, Raborn’s mother answered the door and deputies informed her that they needed to speak with her son and informed her that they had a warrant for his arrest. The deputies asked if they could enter the residence to see if Raborn was there and then entered to look for Raborn.

After entering the residence, Investigator Nathan Daniel went into Raborn’s bedroom. At that time, Deputy Daniel caught a glimpse of movement to his left, where Raborn was standing in the corner of the room behind the door holding a gun. Deputy Daniel immediately turned and grabbed the pistol with his left hand and pinned it to the wall and simultaneously pushed his entire body weight into Raborn’s body to pin it to the wall, while he un-holstered his service weapon and began yelling at Raborn to drop his gun. Raborn’s mother had also entered the room behind Investigator Daniel and was also pleading with Raborn to drop the gun. After several minutes of wrestling around and pleading with Raborn to drop his weapon, Raborn tightened his grip on the gun and attempted to turn it towards Daniel. At that time, Investigator Daniel pushed away from Raborn, and fired his weapon two times, striking Raborn in the chest and head.

DA Higgins met privately with members of the family and with select community leaders today to announce his decision. DA Higgins expressed his condolences, stating, “Law enforcement personnel do their jobs daily never knowing when they will come across an individual who may decide to do harm to themselves or to others. While any loss of life is always tragic, the officer’s use of force in this instance was justified to protect his life and potentially the lives of others in the residence.”

A redacted version of the investigative case file will be placed on the District Attorney’s Office website at www.brunswickda.org, to provide transparency on certain community-interest cases. The redacted investigative file will not contain any personal identifying information or graphic images.
Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

July 1, 2022

The Georgia Office of Victim Services (GOVS) and the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office conducted the second Victim Impact Session this week. Crime victims were able to meet in person with State Board of Pardons and Paroles Chairman Terry Barnard and clemency staff to discuss the parole status of offenders in their cases and to provide information to the Board.

It is the second Victim Impact Session conducted. The first was in April in Hall County.

Victim Impact Sessions involve crime victims meeting with Parole Board Members.

“The Board is committed to meeting directly with registered crime victims as a ‘measure-component’ of an offender’s review for parole as we have done previously on a larger scale,” stated Chairman Barnard.

“We believe in making the Board Members available to meet with crime victims. By conducting these smaller sessions with crime victims, we can spend more time discussing each case with the victims. We travel to where these victims live and we are saving them the time and the expense of coming to us,” added Barnard.

Information provided by victims to the Board is added to the case files of offenders for the Parole Board Members to review at the time parole is considered.

The District Attorney in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit is Keith Higgins. The circuit comprises five counties: Appling, Camden, Glynn, Jeff Davis, and Wayne.

“Victims need a voice in the parole process and those who were able to meet with Parole Board officials were provided that opportunity. I applaud the Board for collaborating with our Victim Advocates Office to set up these meetings, to listen to these crime victims, and inform them about the parole status of the offenders,” stated DA Higgins.

“The meetings were important to the victims,” he added.

Parole Board Member David Herring met with victims in Gainesville in the first Victim Impact Session conducted with Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh. The circuit includes Hall County and Dawson County.

Herring says the meetings are beneficial both to the Board and crime victims.

“It’s important that we have all available information regarding a case and the offender before we make parole decisions,” Herring states.

Chairman Barnard says the Parole Board remains committed to hearing from crime victims and including their voice in the decision-making process.

The Georgia Office of Victim Services represents registered crime victims of offenders who are incarcerated or under community supervision. GOVS is a division of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles and represents the Parole Board, the Department of Corrections, and the Department of Community Supervision.

To learn more about the Georgia Office of Victim Services, and the Georgia Parole Board visit www.pap.georgia.gov or contact Steve Hayes in the communications office at 404-657-9450.

June 30, 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Ramondria Jalone Johnson Jr., 30, of Brunswick, was convicted of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Criminal Damage to Property in the First Degree, and Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony, following a jury trial which concluded on June 29, 2022.

The charges stem from the October 23, 2020, death of Alfred Hill, 27, also of Brunswick. During the evening of October 23, 2020, Hill, along with family and friends, were gathered in front of the Mercer-Altama Apartments on R Street in Brunswick, at a memorial service for an acquaintance. Hill was standing next to the passenger side door of his cousin’s SUV when he began to exchange words with the defendant, Ramondria Johnson Jr. After a few minutes, another one of Hill’s cousins heard Johnson say “I’ve got mine” and then pull a handgun and fire it three times. Hill was struck twice and another bullet struck the occupied SUV that they were standing by. One bullet entered Hill’s right shoulder and went down into his chest, hitting a lung and causing massive internal bleeding. The other struck him in the left leg. Hill immediately took off running down the street and collapsed in a yard across from GraceMore Nursing Home. Brunswick Police and emergency services arrived and attempted to provide aid to Hill, who was transported to Southeast Georgia Hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds.

Hill’s family and friends were initially unaware that he had been shot. Johnson was identified as the shooter by three of Hill’s family members, one of whom had confronted him for firing a gun by his vehicle, before Johnson fled the scene. A few hours after the shooting, Johnson turned himself in to the authorities. He declined to make a statement and no motive for the shooting was discovered.

The trial, presided over by Superior Court Judge Robert Guy, began on June 22, 2022 in Glynn County Superior Court, and members of the jury returned their guilty verdicts on June 29, 2022. According to Chief Assistant District Attorney Nigel Lush, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State, “This is another case of senseless gun violence that is plaguing our country, our state, and Brunswick in particular, these days. In the past, people would get into a dispute and resolve their differences with a fist fight. Today, someone pulls out a gun and the consequences become tragic. Mr. Hill was the father of three children, who will now grow up without him in their lives. Our prayers are with his family and friends.”

Sentencing in this case is scheduled for July 21, 2022 at 3:00pm in the Glynn County Superior Court. Johnson faces a mandatory life in prison sentence for the murder conviction.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

15 June 2022

District Attorney (DA) Keith Higgins announces that Kegan B. Bennett, 40, Douglas L.
Wooten, 41, and Denver L. Wooten, 19, all from Hazlehurst, pled guilty to Felony Murder in the 2021
death of Marcos Ramirez, 55, also of Hazlehurst. Additionally, Verlyttia Raiford, 33, plead guilty to
Armed Robbery, and Denver Wooten pled guilty to the Aggravated Assault of Ramirez’ daughter,
Brittany Ramirez, 27. The pleas, which were made pursuant to plea agreements, were accepted in May
2022, in Jeff Davis County Superior Court.

The charges stem from the January 4, 2021, death of Marcos Ramirez, who was shot at his daughter
Brittany’s home on Mark Hall Drive in Hazlehurst. Doug Wooten, who had previously worked with
Marcos Ramirez, believed that Ramirez carried large sums of money and came up with a plan to rob
him. Wooten and his son, Denver Wooten, drove to Ramirez’ work location and followed him to what
they believed to be his home; however, the location turned out to be the home of his daughter,
Brittany, where she lived with her fiancé and their toddler son.

Doug and Denver Wooten left the Ramirez’ residence and went to the home of Doug’s girlfriend,
Verlyttia Raiford, where they obtained three firearms. Doug, Denver and Verlyttia took the firearms and
went and picked up Verlyttia’s cousin, Kegan Bennett. The four then went back to Brittany’s home on
Mark Hall Drive. The three men exited the vehicle armed with the firearms, wearing masks and carrying
zip ties. Verlyttia was instructed to stay in the area, and to pick them back up once the robbery was
completed.

As the three men approached the residence, Marcos Ramirez heard a dog barking and opened the door,
coming face to face with the three armed men. Ramirez fought the men and was ultimately killed by a
shotgun blast fired by Kegan Bennett. Shell casings found at the scene indicated that a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, which was carried by Doug Wooten, was also fired, but did not strike Ramirez.
Denver Wooten was carrying a revolver, which was also fired and did strike Ramirez. Denver Wooten
also pointed his revolver at Brittany Ramirez.

The investigation, conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s
Office, resulted in the co-defendants being apprehended within hours of the murder. In addition to incriminating statements by witnesses and confessions by the defendants, items of evidence, to include firearms, cell phones, zip ties and clothing were recovered and linked to the defendants.

According to Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Presley, who prosecuted the case, “We
offer our condolences to Mr. Ramirez’ family. Mr. Ramirez was just a regular man working hard and
living his life. After work one day, he went to visit his daughter and grandchild, and his life was cut short
by individuals who concocted a plan to rob him. Anytime a criminal brings a weapon to a crime, they
are just a trigger-pull away from it escalating to a murder, and, unfortunately, that is exactly what
happened in this case.”

Following acceptance of the guilty plea to Felony Murder in Jeff Davis County Superior Court, Judge
Stephen D. Kelley sentenced Kegan Bennett, Doug Wooten and Denver Wooten to life in prison with the
possibility of parole. Denver Wooten additionally pled guilty to the Aggravated Assault of Brittany
Ramirez, and was sentenced to 20 years to serve to run concurrent. Verlyttia Raiford pled guilty to
Armed Robbery, and received a sentence of 20 years serve 15 in prison, without parole.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District
Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.