11 November 2021

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Louie Curry, 57, of Jesup, was convicted on November 3, 2021, of child molestation and sexual assault against a child under the age of  16, following a two-day jury trial.  

The charges stem from an incident that occurred in late March 2020, when Curry, then in a relationship with the victim’s mother, touched the 12-year old victim’s private parts with his hand. Curry, the victim’s mother and other children all lived in the same home at the time. The child made an outcry to her older sister, who told their mother. Their mother then reported the incident to the police. It was further alleged that Curry had previously committed acts of this nature against this same child victim, as well as the victim’s cousin, when the victims were 9 and 11-years old, respectively; however, the jury did not convict Curry on those acts. 

The trial, presided over by Superior Court Judge Anthony Harrison, took place over 2 days. “With the collaboration of the expert forensic interviewers from Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center in Jesup and The Teal House Children’s Advocacy Center in Statesboro, as well as the victims’ family, we were able to present a compelling case to the jury,” said Assistant District Attorney Seterria Brodnex, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State. “Curry took advantage of the access and opportunities he  had in their shared home to touch this child inappropriately. Without this child’s bravery in finally coming forward and telling her sister what the defendant had been doing to her, it may have never stopped. It is our hope that no child ever has to go through this type of ordeal at the hands of this  defendant again.” 

Members of the Wayne County jury deliberated earnestly for over 3 hours before reaching guilty verdicts on two of the six counts in the indictment. Judge Anthony Harrison sentenced Curry immediately following the jury’s verdict to a 20-year sentence with the first 8-years to serve in confinement. Curry will serve the balance of that sentence on probation, subject to all sex offender conditions, and he will be required to register as a sex offender. 

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

29 October 2021

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – A Jeff Davis County resident was convicted by a jury on October  21, 2021 of drug charges stemming from an undercover purchase of drugs in June 2020.  

Anna Maria Guillen, 32, of Hazlehurst, was found guilty of the sale of methamphetamine after a  confidential informant testified that he, while working under the direction of the Jeff Davis County  Sheriff’s Office, had purchased a quantity of methamphetamine from Guillen outside of her residence in  Jeff Davis County on June 10, 2020. Jeff Davis Investigator Anthony McNeal and Hazlehurst Police  Investigator Daniel Ivey were in visual contact with the confidential informant during this undercover  purchase of methamphetamine.  

Superior Court Judge Roger B. Lane sentenced Guillen to 15 years with 8 years to be served in prison,  and the remaining 7 years to be served on probation.  

“Dangerous drugs like methamphetamine affect more than just those individuals who become  addicted,” said Jan Kennedy, a Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney in the Appling/Jeff Davis Office of  the District Attorney for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, who prosecuted the case. “These drugs destroy  the lives of family members as well. Prosecuting drug cases such as this can serve to reduce drug  activity in our county and help protect our citizens.” 

The trial, State of Georgia v. Anna Marie Guillen, began October 18 with jury selection, and ended  October 21. Guillen was acquitted of a second charge, sale of heroin.  

For more information about the District Attorney for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, please visit  www.BrunswickDA.org.  

28 October 2021

BRUNSWICK, Ga (October 28, 2021) – Keith Higgins, District Attorney for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit (BJC), is pleased to announce that a new Assistant District Attorney (ADA) will be working in his Appling County office.

Hunter Glenn Smith, a native of Wayne County and former law clerk in the Appling County DA’s office, has recently passed the Georgia Bar and was sworn in as an ADA on Wednesday, October 27, by Superior Court Judge Stephen D. Kelley at the Wayne County Courthouse.

Smith is the eldest son of Tanya and the late Christopher Smith. His maternal grandparents, Glenn and the late Linda Clark, and paternal grandparents, Randy and Susan Smith, are all from Jesup. Smith grew up in Wayne County and graduated from Wayne County High School in 2014. He attended the University of Georgia and graduated summa cum laude in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with minors in Student Affairs and Sociology, as well as certificates in Applied Politics/Public Affairs and Leadership.

Smith continued his education at the University of Georgia School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude in May 2021. While in law school, Smith had the opportunity to serve in the Jesup Public Defender’s Office, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Governor’s Office, and the Athens-Clark County District Attorney’s Office. He was also a member of the Prosecutorial Justice Program and was named the Outstanding Prosecutorial Student for the Class of 2021.

Higgins, who began his term as District Attorney for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit on January 1, said the promotion of Smith as an ADA will help the Appling office continue to provide competent and professional service in the pursuit of justice for the citizens of both Appling and Jeff Davis counties.

“We are all very proud of Hunter, who is already a vital member of our Appling office; to have him now assume the duties of an Assistant District Attorney will only further benefit the citizens of Appling and Jeff Davis, and the entire Brunswick Judicial Circuit.”

For more information about career and volunteer opportunities with the D.A.’s Office, please contact Barbara Baucum at 912-554-7200 or bjcinfo@pacga.org.

8 October 2021

BRUNSWICK, Ga. — District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Ronrecus Goodwin, 23, of Brunswick,  entered a guilty plea to one count of Malice Murder in the death of 20-year-old Cameron Johnson, and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole by Superior Court Judge Stephen  Scarlett. Goodwin was scheduled to go to trial in Glynn County on Tuesday, October 12. 

On September 13, 2019, Goodwin was at a home on Ellis Street Lane in Brunswick. Also present were the victim and others, including a female that both Mr. Johnson and Mr. Goodwin had been in a  relationship with. During the course of the evening, tensions rose between Goodwin and Johnson over the female in question. Both Goodwin and Johnson ended up outside the home where a mutual friend encouraged them to stop “beefing” over the girl and encouraged them to talk it out. Goodwin and  Johnson then took a walk around the block before returning to the house. After seemingly making peace with one another, Goodwin suddenly pulled out a handgun and shot Johnson in the chest and ran off. Johnson was soon after pronounced dead at the hospital after suffering substantial blood loss. There were three eyewitnesses to the shooting. All of them said the shooting was unprovoked in any way by Cameron Johnson. 

At sentencing, Johnson’s grandmother who had raised him described the family’s pain at the loss of  Cameron but stated that she forgave Goodwin. Goodwin also spoke during the hearing and apologized to Cameron Johnson’s family. 

At the time of the murder, Goodwin was on first offender probation for a prior Aggravated Assault.  Besides receiving the life sentence for the murder, he was adjudicated guilty for the prior Aggravated  Assault and sentenced to 20 years to run concurrent with his sentence in the murder case.  

In Georgia, a defendant has to serve at least 30 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. 

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

8 October 2021

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Joseph Jordan, 66, of Brunswick, was  convicted of child molestation and sexual assault against a child under the age of 16, following a two day  jury trial.  

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on September 18, 2020, when Jordan, then a school  bus driver with Glynn County, was parked outside the Glynn County stadium for a football game. The 10  year old victim’s mother was also a school bus driver and co-worker of the defendant, and was parked  next to him. During the game, the victim and her younger brother went back and forth between the  two buses as their mother was cleaning up her bus. At one point during the evening, Jordan sat next to  the victim and began holding her hand. He also started to rub her inner thigh and then took her hand  and placed it on his groin area. All of this was captured on the school bus video recording system. 

Later that evening, the victim disclosed to her mother that Jordan had touched her. The victim’s mother  reported the event to school police who conducted the investigation and subsequently arrested Jordan.  

At trial, Jordan testified that he touched the victim, but denied that it was sexual in nature. Jordan  claimed it was an error in judgment.  

“In cooperation with the Glynn County Transportation Department and through collaborations with Glynn County School Investigator Ricky Hilburn and the Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center, we  were able to conduct a thorough investigation and present a compelling case to the jury,” said Assistant  District Attorney Seterria Brodnex, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State. “The defendant  acted brazenly in this incident, which was caught on a school bus camera; however, the child victim was  brave by immediately reporting what happened to her mother and then facing her abuser in court.” 

Members of the Glynn County jury deliberated for approximately one hour before reaching its guilty  verdicts. On October 5, 2021, Superior Court Judge Roger B. Lane sentenced Jordan to 17 years  confinement, with 10 years to serve. Jordan is also required to register as a sex offender. 

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

28 September 2021

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (Sept. 28, 2021) — Kelly Spell knows a thing or two about comforting people in crisis.

After retiring from a 30-year career with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Spell joined the District Attorney’s Office for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, serving in its Appling and Jeff Davis counties’ office in Baxley as a victim advocate.

“When I got close to retirement, I was looking for a second career, because I started with DJJ right after college,” she said. “Working as a victim advocate for the DA’s office was a perfect fit.”

As part of her job, Spell guides the victims and witnesses of crimes through the judicial process – a journey that can often be painful. In the past, the difficult conversations and tender moments were often held in stark conference rooms under harsh fluorescent lights. But not anymore.

Newly minted District Attorney Keith Higgins, who assumed the role in January, has made it a priority to give victims and witnesses a comfortable place in his offices to feel at home and navigate the challenges of the judicial system.

Each office of the District Attorney in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit now has a Victim Advocacy Room—soothing spaces for the DA’s staff to converse with victims and witnesses away from the ringing phones and stern lights of conference rooms and offices.

Spell in Baxley was the first to open her room to victims and witnesses, complete with games and plush animals for children and cozy seating for adults.

“Each office chose a theme for their Victim Advocacy Rooms,” explained Spell. “I chose ‘The Refuge’ and decorated it with beach décor and sea turtles for a number of reasons: One, the life of a sea turtle is very hard. They travel a long way from the time they hatch to adulthood, and it can be a difficult journey. Being a victim of crime can be like that, but we have to remember the ocean is in front of us. Sea turtles don’t rush—they take their time and forge their own path.”

Spell’s sea turtle-themed “Refuge” room is complete with soft, incandescent lighting, a couch, relaxing chairs, toys and games for children, and snacks, much have which has been donated by local service organizations and charities.

“Court can be a very long day, especially for children, so we also have a ‘go-bag’ with things like crayons and coloring books,” said Spell. “I feel really good about it. I’ve been doing this for five years, and I’ve had experiences with some victims in tense and stressful situations. In this room, ‘The Refuge,’ victims can feel protected.”

Jessica Perez, another of the DA’s victim advocates based in the Glynn County office, echoed Spell and said her office’s room–themed “Safe Haven”–will be a place of solitude for victims who may be going through a tumultuous time.

“We’ve never had anything like this before District Attorney Higgins came into the office,” said Perez, who has worked in the DA’s Brunswick office for three years. “I think it’s going to be a major comfort for people. Going to court is scary for a lot of people, especially for families and kids, but this is more like a living room and it’s an easier place to have hard conversations and feel at home.”

Each of the DA’s four offices serving five counties will have a Victim Advocacy Room, all with donations supplied by civic organizations. In addition to “The Safe Haven” in Brunswick and “The Refuge” in Baxley, the Wayne County DA’s office features “The Retreat,” and the Camden County office’s space has been christened “The Sandee Ortega Victim Room,” in honor of Sandee Ortega, who was a victim advocate in the Camden office for many years.

Items for the various rooms were generously donated by The Rotary Club of Brunswick, The Rotary Club of St. Simons Island, The Rotary Club of Jesup, The Rotary Club of Camden, The Rotary Club of the Golden Isles, The Rotary Club of Jekyll Island, The Rotary Club of Kings Bay, The Exchange Club of Brunswick, Georgia PORCH, Troy University and the Golden Isles Republican Women’s Club.

Anyone wishing to make a donation may contact Yolanda Richardson, Director of the Victim-Witness Assistance Program, at 912-554-7229 or yrichardson@pacga.org.

The District Attorney for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit serves Appling, Camden, Glynn, Jeff Davis and Wayne counties.

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25 August 2021

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (August 25, 2021) – District Attorney for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit Keith Higgins recently hired a new investigator, Paul Drawdy, to assist in criminal investigations. 

Drawdy, a veteran police officer and former police chief, most recently worked for the Jesup Police Department in Wayne County, where he processed crime scenes, took witness statements, questioned suspects, and performed surveillance and background checks. 

“I’m happy to be joining the District Attorney’s team and continuing to serve the people of Georgia, Wayne County, and beyond,” said Drawdy. “This is a unique opportunity to work directly with attorneys to assist in the investigation and prosecution of felony and misdemeanor cases. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

As an investigator with the D.A.’s office, Drawdy will aid prosecutors by locating victims and witnesses, conducting background checks, obtaining incident and crime lab reports, detective files, evidence and property sheets, prior conviction records, and other necessary documents. He is Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council certified and will primarily work with prosecutors in Wayne County.

“We are excited to have Investigator Drawdy aboard our team and look forward to putting his experience to good use for the people of our judicial circuit,” said District Attorney Higgins. “Having well-researched, complete case files for our attorneys is of paramount importance, and Mr. Drawdy will play an important role in ensuring this happens in an expeditious, detail-oriented and thorough fashion.”

Drawdy also served as Chairman of the Wayne County Board of Education for two terms. He is an avid outdoorsman who is committed to enhancing and conserving wildlife and its habitats. He is an active member of Calvary Baptist in Jesup, a husband and father of two. 

For more information about career and volunteer opportunities with the D.A.’s office, please contact Barbara Baucum at 912-554-7200 or email bjcinfo@pacga.org.  

19 July 2021

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (July 19, 2020) – A man convicted of a 1985 double homicide who was granted a new trial will face no further prosecution after District Attorney Keith Higgins today announced he is declining to further prosecute him. 

Newly discovered DNA evidence shows Dennis A. Perry, 59, formerly of Camden County, may have been acquitted if that evidence had been available during his 2003 trial for the murders of Harold and Thelma Swain at Rising Daughter Baptist Church in Waverly on March 11, 1985. Perry was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences and imprisoned in March 2003. 

Glynn County Superior Court Chief Judge Stephen G. Scarlett, Sr., granted Higgins’ motion to dismiss the charges today. Judge Scarlett previously approved Perry’s motion for a new trial and bond July 17, 2020. All charges against Perry will be dropped as a result of Higgins’ decision not to prosecute a new trial. The victims’ family and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) were consulted prior to Higgins’ announcement. The victim’s family and the GBI agreed with the decision to dismiss the charges. 

“There are times when seeking justice means righting a wrong,” said Higgins, who took office Jan. 1, 2021. “While this case was prosecuted prior to my administration, the new evidence indicates that someone else murdered Harold and Thelma Swain. Mr. Perry is now, and has been since July 2020, a free man. We will continue to examine all the evidence in the case—new and old—as we determine what the next step will be in this investigation.” 

The new DNA evidence centers around a pair of distinct eyeglasses found at the crime scene in 1985. Investigators contend the glasses, which had two hairs stuck in the hinges, belonged to the killer. Mitochondrial DNA testing was conducted using the hair samples prior to Perry’s 2003 trial and excluded him as a possible contributor of the hairs; however, he was convicted using circumstantial evidence at trial. 

In February 2020, private investigators working for Perry obtained a hair sample from a Brantley County woman who is the mother of a man implicated, but not charged, in the 1985 Swain murders. Her hair sample was analyzed by the same lab that conducted the DNA testing on the hair from the glasses in 2001 prior to Perry’s trial. The profiles matched. Because mitochondrial DNA is passed along maternal relatives—like mother and son—this means the son of the woman who donated the hair cannot be excluded as a contributor of the hairs found at the crime scene in 1985. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation re-opened the case as a result of the new evidence. 

On the evening of the murders, the Swains were attending a meeting at Rising Daughter Baptist Church on U.S. Highway 17 in Waverly. Shortly before 9 p.m., an attendee excused herself from the meeting and found a man in the church’s vestibule as she was leaving. The man told the woman he needed to speak with Harold Swain, 66, and briefly peered through the vestibule doors into the main sanctuary where a prayer meeting was being held. The woman went to summon Harold Swain, and then departed the church. Witnesses reported hearing a scuffle, quickly followed by four gunshots. Upon hearing the gunshots, Thelma Swain, 63, ran to the vestibule and opened the swinging doors. When she did so, the killer shot her once. The other meeting attendees ran to the back of the church and the killer escaped. Witnesses attempted to call police, but found the phone lines had been cut, and eventually one witness ran to a nearby store to summon authorities, who arrived a short time later. 

The case quickly went cold, but was re-opened by the Camden County Sheriff’s Office in 1998, eventually leading to Perry’s arrest and conviction. 

Members of the media who have additional questions or need assistance obtaining publicly available court documents may contact the District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200. 

23 June 2021

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (June 23, 2021) – The Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office today announced the dismissal of felony murder charges against Michael Howard in the death of a 17-year-old Brunswick resident due to insufficient evidence.

Howard was initially charged with felony murder along with defendant Bria-Marie Nicole Register, 28, of Brunswick, who still faces felony murder charges in the April 17, 2021, death of victim Javier Cordova of Brunswick. Howard still faces felony charges of tampering with evidence for allegedly dismantling and hiding a handgun prosecutors allege Register used to shoot Cordova.

“After a careful review of the evidence and case file, my office does not believe Mr. Howard caused Ms. Register to murder Mr. Cordova,” said District Attorney Keith Higgins. “Nor do we believe he encouraged Ms. Register or abetted her other than tampering with evidence, with which he is still charged.

“I, and the prosecutors in my office, are committed to justice for Mr. Cordova and his family, and we will continue to prosecute this murder to the fullest extent the law allows,” Higgins added.

Prosecutors allege Register shot and killed Cordova in the early morning hours of April 17 outside an apartment complex in the 3100 block of Cypress Mill Road in Brunswick during an altercation. The firearm allegedly used belonged to Howard, although there is no evidence he willingly provided his firearm to her, according to Deputy Assistant District Attorney Nigel Lush, who is prosecuting the cases against Howard and Register.

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

20 June 2021

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (June 20, 2021) – The Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office today announced the guilty pleas of two men for the felony murder and attempted armed robbery of a 23-year-old Baxley man.

Rhett Austin Wheeler, 23, of Baxley, and Rocky Alton Wheeler, 20, of Blackshear, pleaded guilty in Appling County Superior Court today and were both sentenced to life in prison by Judge Stephen Kelly. Neither of the two brothers will be eligible for parole for at least 30 years.

The two defendants pleaded guilty before their trial in the Dec. 30, 2018, death of Dennis William Bryant behind a hotel in the first block of Heritage Street in Baxley.

“It is always fortunate when a just result can be achieved without the need for victim’s families to relive their loss at trial. When defendants accept responsibility for their actions, judicial resources can be freed up to handle other pending cases,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Ian Heap, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State.  “In these two cases, convictions for murder and life sentences were just. We will continue our pursuit of justice for the family and friends of Mr. Bryant.”

There are a total of six co-defendants in this case, five of which are charged with felony murder. The remaining defendants charged include Luis Jose Torres, 21, of New Jersey, Gabrielle Elizabeth Labaco, 21, of New Jersey, and Catherine Layne Zipperer, 19, of Blackshear. 

 A sixth co-defendant, Daisy Miranda Lott, 21, of Alpharetta, was indicted for tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of a fugitive. One of the co-defendants, Jose Torres, was tried in 2019, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison with possibility of parole. Appling County Superior Court granted him a new trial in 2020, ruling that his defense lawyer was ineffective.  Torres and the other three remaining co-defendants await trial.

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