8 April 2022

District Attorney (DA) Keith Higgins announces the entry of guilty pleas in two vehicular homicide cases.

On April 8, 2022, Madisyn Anne Culpepper, 24, from Glynn County, pled guilty to Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree and Hit and Run, both felonies. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on February 3, 2019. On that date, Culpepper was at her brother’s residence on Lakes Drive in Brunswick for a Super Bowl party. Culpepper was consuming alcoholic beverages at the party and had been drinking earlier that day at a bar. Later that evening, Culpepper left the party and drove a vehicle east on Lakes Drive. While on Lakes Drive, Culpepper crossed into the westbound lane of travel and struck Jacob Butts, 15, of Brunswick, as he was skateboarding on that side of the road. Butts was slammed into the windshield of the vehicle, vaulted over it and came to rest in a ditch beside the road. Culpepper failed to stop after the crash and continued driving to Baumgardner Road and GA Hwy 520, where she was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle. At the scene of the second collision, Culpepper was arrested and transported to Glynn County Detention Center where a breath test showed her blood alcohol concentration was 0.22. Butts died at the scene. The incident was investigated by both the Glynn County Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team.

Following entry of the guilty plea, Judge Stephen G. Scarlett, Sr. sentenced Culpepper to 15 years, 8 years to serve in prison, with the remainder to be served on probation for the Homicide by Vehicle charge and 5 years to serve in prison for the Hit and Run charge.
On the same date, Austin Blake Moore, 20, pled guilty to Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree and Serious Injury by Vehicle, both felonies. The charges stem from an incident that occurred during the early morning hours of May 12, 2019. At approximately 0230 hours, GCPD Officer Dumas was running stationary radar at US Hwy 520 and West Flanders Drive in Glynn County. Moore and another individual were racing their vehicles along that roadway, and the officer clocked the vehicle speeds at 103 mph in a 55 mph zone. The officer turned on his lights and siren to pursue the vehicles, and Moore attempted to flee, making a sharp turn onto Ratcliffe Road, ultimately hitting a wooden fence and crashing his vehicle. One of the vehicle passengers, Kylie Burgess, 14 years old, died at the scene, and the other passenger, Armen Jordan, then 18 years old, suffered multiple facial fractures and was airlifted to University of Florida-Shands hospital.

Following entry of the guilty plea, Judge Stephen D. Kelley sentenced Moore to 15 years, with 8 years to serve in prison and the remaining 7 years on probation for the Homicide by Vehicle charge. For the Serious Injury by Vehicle charge, Moore was sentenced to 15 years to be served concurrent with the first charge, 8 years to serve in prison, followed by 7 years probation.

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

24 March 2022

Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Keith Higgins announces plans for the 2022  Crime Victims’ Rights Week ceremonies.  

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week was established in 1981 to provide an opportunity to raise  awareness of victims’ rights. This year, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week will be commemorated  during the week of April 24 – 30, 2022. District Attorney Higgins and the employees of the District  Attorney’s Office Victim-Witness Assistance Program encourage our communities to embrace this year’s  theme: “Rights, Access, Equity, for all victims.” The theme underscores the importance of helping crime  survivors find their justice by: enforcing victim’ rights, expanding access to services, and ensuring equity  and inclusion for all. 

Originally established by President Ronald Reagan, the project has grown in its efforts to educate  communities about the effects of victimization and the need for services for those affected by crime. At  the time of the first Crime Victims Rights’ week, most states did not have legal rights formalized for  victims. Services were scant and mostly through word of mouth. Victims were not informed of court  proceedings and were largely left out of the criminal justice process. The Crime Victims Bill of Rights and  later, Marsy’s Law, better defined and legalized the rights of those victimized by crime. 

In remembrance of those victims from the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, a Memorial Wall will be displayed  at each county courthouse for the entire week. Families and friends are encouraged to visit the display  and sign the guestbook that will be on display along with the photos of loved ones lost. Each county will  also have a specialized program that is open to all community members, families and friends. 

The Wayne County program will be held on Monday, April 25th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at Courtroom C  at the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, located at 266 E. Walnut Street, Jesup, Georgia. 

The Camden County program will be held on Tuesday, April 26th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the  Camden County Courthouse located at 210 E. 4th Street, Woodbine, Georgia. 

The Appling County program will be held on Wednesday, April 27th from 6 pm to 7 pm at the Appling  County Public Safety Complex located at 560 Barnes St., Baxley, Georgia. 

The Jeff Davis County program will be held on Thursday, April 28th from 6 pm to 7 pm at the Jeff Davis  County Courthouse located at 14 Jeff Davis Street, Hazlehurst, Georgia. 

The Glynn County program will be held on Friday, April 29th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Glynn  County Courthouse located at 701 H Street, Brunswick, Georgia. 

For more information about victims’ rights and services, visit the Brunswick District Attorney’s Office  website at brunswickda.org. 

23 March 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announced today that he would not pursue a  criminal prosecution with regard to an incident between an officer with the Kingsland Police  Department and Gearil L. Williams.  

On August 23, 2020, at approximately 11:00 pm, Kingsland Police Department officers responded to a residence at Camden Way apartments in reference a 911 caller who had heard someone screaming. Upon arrival at the residence, the officers looked through a front window and saw a female sitting on a couch holding something to her face, and a male, later identified as Gearil L. Williams, sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. The officers identified themselves as police and instructed Mr. Williams to open the door. Mr. Williams refused, and moved to block the door, while the female was signaling to the officers to come in. While Mr.  Williams was attempting to block the door, the female ran towards the rear of the apartment to a back bedroom. As the officers attempted to kick in the front door to gain entry, Mr.  Williams ran toward the rear bedroom following the female. The officers heard the female screaming from the bedroom and attempted to enter; however, the door was blocked by Mr.  Williams.  

The officers ran outside to attempt to gain entry through the bedroom window and one ran back in the residence to continue to try to get in through the bedroom door. SGT George, one of the officers who ran outside, broke the bedroom window and observed Mr. Williams holding the female with his right arm around her neck/body and holding a knife in his left hand. SGT  George was telling Mr. Williams to drop the knife while the female continued screaming and  Mr. Williams was yelling to the officers to shoot him. When Mr. Williams made a downward motion with the knife toward the female, SGT George fired his weapon.  

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, “While any loss of life  is always tragic, the officer’s use of force in this instance was justified to protect a life.” 

In an effort to provide transparency on certain community-interest cases, the District  Attorney’s Office will provide access to a redacted version of the investigative case file for the public to access from the District Attorney’s Office website at www.brunswickda.org . 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. 

7 March 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Everett Belafonte Bennett, 21, and Travis Tyrone Kates, 21, both of Brunswick, were convicted of Malice Murder, Felony Murder (2 counts), Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony, following a jury trial which concluded on March 3, 2022. A third co-defendant, Ethan Bell Bennett, 20, brother of Everett, was tried separately and convicted of similar charges on February 3, 2022.

The charges stem from the July 22, 2019, death of Antonio Randolph, 35, who was shot multiple times in front of his mother’s home in the Arco area of Brunswick. The investigation, led by Sgt. Sheila Ramos of the Glynn County Police Department, revealed that Antonio Randolph had struggled for years with drug addiction. Randolph had become involved with the mother of Ethan and Everett Bennett. She also battled addiction, and witness statements and text messages showed that both brothers blamed Randolph for her addiction and intended to do him harm. In the hours before the shooting, Ethan and Everett, along with Kates, were seen multiple times in the Arco area, interacting with their mother.

They were in a vehicle that belonged to Everett Bennett’s girlfriend. A grainy security video from a neighbor’s home partially captured the shooting. It showed Randolph crossing the street from his mother’s home and coming into contact with at least one individual. He is seen running back to his mother’s home while the other person fires at least one shot at him. In total, Randolph was shot four times, all from behind.

Following the shooting, the defendants met up with Everett Bennett’s girlfriend and asked her to drop them off at different locations. When questioned by police, the girlfriend initially denied any knowledge of what happened, but eventually admitted that Everett told her “something happened to his mother’s boyfriend” within an hour of the shooting and before Randolph’s body was discovered. Kates was the only defendant to make a statement to police, wherein he claimed that at the time of the murder, he was home sleeping after he had gotten high on marijuana. Text messages found on his phone refuted that statement and Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney, Nigel Lush, who prosecuted the cases, argued that the texts were an admission of his involvement in the murder.

The Bennett’s mother had been held in jail on a material witness warrant to ensure her presence for trial and was released upon conclusion of her testimony. Following her release, the District Attorney’s Office arranged for her to return to a drug rehabilitation program.

The trial, presided over by Superior Court Judge Stephen G. Scarlett, Sr., began on February 28, 2022 in Glynn County Superior Court, and members of the jury returned their guilty verdicts on all counts on March 3, 2022. According to Deputy Chief Lush, “This was a difficult case to prosecute given the circumstantial nature of the evidence and the reluctance of many witnesses to cooperate in both the investigation and trials. While we know these verdicts won’t fill the hole in the hearts of Antonio Randolph’s family, we are thankful that there was justice and we hope that can give them some peace. We also pray for the Bennett’s mother as she returns to rehab to fight her addiction.”

Deputy Chief Lush also thanked Sgt. Sheila Ramos and the Glynn County Police Department for their exhaustive investigative efforts in this case.

Sentencing is scheduled for all three defendants on March 18, 2022 at 09:30 a.m. in the Glynn County Superior Court. Each defendant faces a mandatory life in prison sentence for the murder convictions.

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

25 February 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Calvin Robert Jenkins, Jr., 29, of Brunswick, was convicted of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony, following a jury trial which concluded on February 22, 2022.

The charges stem from the December 15, 2019, shooting death of Wolf Valmond, 39, who was shot and killed outside of Rafters Bar on St Simons Island. At the time of the shooting, Valmond, who is from Virginia Beach, VA, was employed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and was a student at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) in Brunswick. The Glynn County Police Department (GCPD) investigation revealed that earlier in the evening, an altercation had taken place inside of Rafters between several CBP students, Jenkins, his sister Denise Jenkins and a friend, Naasir Kurmue, following Denise Jenkins’ accusing a female CBP student of stealing her phone. As the parties were leaving the bar following the altercation, Jenkins went to a vehicle, retrieved a semi-automatic pistol, and went back to the area outside of Rafters, where he got into another altercation with Valmond and shot twice at him, hitting him once in the chest.

The trial, presided over by Superior Court Judge Stephen D. Kelley, began on January 18, 2022 in Glynn County Superior Court, and members of the jury returned their guilty verdicts on all counts on February 22, 2022.

According to District Attorney Keith Higgins, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State, “We are grateful to the GCPD for their hard work and diligence in this case, and to the jury for their hard work and time in considering all of the evidence presented in this case. I feel that justice was done, and that is always a good thing for our community.”

Judge Kelley sentenced Jenkins to serve Life without Parole for the Malice Murder, and 5 years, to run consecutive to the life sentence for Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony. Jenkins was not sentenced for Felony Murder and Aggravated Assault because those crimes merge (i.e. are included) in the Malice Murder conviction.

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

25 February 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces the results of two criminal jury trials held during the week of February 14-17, 2022, before Judge Kathy S. Palmer, in Wayne County Superior Court.

Robert Evans Sr., 58, from Wayne County, was convicted of Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony following the March 26, 2019, shooting death of his nephew, Spence Pearce Jr., 19, at his home in Screven. The shooting followed a physical altercation between the victim, Pearce Jr., and his other uncle, Marvin Evans, the brother of the defendant. Following the altercation, wherein Marvin Evans suffered a laceration with bleeding over each eye, he went into his bedroom, locked his door and called the police and his brother, defendant Robert Evans. The defendant drove from Jesup to Screven, arriving at the residence before the police. The defendant allegedly walked up to the porch with his gun in his hand and confronted his nephew, who had invited him up on the porch so he could tell him what happened. According to two eyewitnesses, who were both family members, the defendant pointed the gun at the victim, shot him without provocation, and then left the scene without checking on the victim or his brother. The defendant’s testimony at trial conflicted with that of the witnesses, and he claimed that the shooting was accidental and he never intended to shoot the victim.

The Wayne County jury deliberated and subsequently convicted the defendant of Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony and acquitted him of Malice Murder, Felony Murder and Voluntary Manslaughter. Judge Palmer deferred sentencing in this case, with sentencing expected in March 2022. Chief Assistant District Attorney Melissa Himes, who prosecuted this case, thanked the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) for their investigative work and support for the prosecution at trial, for both this case and the Echols case below.

In the second jury trial, in which Assistant District Attorney Christina Wascher represented the State, James Eldon Echols Jr., 40, from Ludowici, was convicted of Felony Fleeing and Attempting to Elude, Driving without a License and a Taillight Violation, following an August 12, 2020, incident. During the incident, the defendant attempted to flee WCSO Deputies Timothy Hillyard and William Chitty, who observed him driving his motorcycle without a working taillight on Highway 23 North. Concerned for the driver’s safety, the deputies activated their emergency lights and siren to effect a vehicle stop. The defendant turned onto Doctortown Road and accelerated to speeds in excess of 100 mph, in an attempt to flee and elude the deputies. The deputies caught up with the defendant when he turned around and stopped on the side of the road facing in the opposite direction. As he attempted to flee again, the defendant sideswiped a patrol vehicle and the deputies apprehended him.

Following jury deliberations, Echols was convicted of Felony Fleeing and Attempting to Elude, Driving without a License and a Taillight Violation, and acquitted of Driving with No Insurance. Judge Palmer sentenced Echols to two years with 240 days to serve on the Fleeing charge; 12 months probation to run consecutive with drug treatment on the Driving without a License charge; and, he was fined $122.00 for the Taillight Violation.

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

07 February 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Ethan Bell Bennett, 20, of Brunswick, was convicted of Malice Murder, Felony Murder (2 counts), Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm by a First Offender Probationer, Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony and Simple Battery, following a jury trial which concluded on February 3, 2022.

The charges stem from the July 22, 2019, death of Antonio Randolph (35), who was shot multiple times
in front of his mother’s home in the Arco area of Brunswick.

The investigation, led by Sgt. Sheila Ramos of the Glynn County Police Department, revealed that Antonio Randolph had struggled for years with drug addiction. Randolph had become involved with Jennifer Bell Ahnberg, 40, the mother of Ethan Bennett and his brother, Everett Bennett. Ahnberg also battled addiction, and witness statements and text messages showed that both Ethan Bennett and his brother Everett blamed Randolph for her addiction and intended to do him harm. The investigation showed that Randolph was shot 4 times from behind, and that Ethan Bennett confessed to a witness that he, Everett Bennett, Travis Kates and another individual confronted and shot Randolph.

The trial, presided over by Superior Court Judge Stephen G. Scarlett, Sr., began on January 31, 2022 in Glynn County Superior Court, and members of the jury returned their guilty verdicts on all counts on February 3, 2022.

According to Deputy Assistant District Attorney Nigel Lush, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State, “Full credit for the conviction goes to the Glynn County Police Department for their exhaustive investigative efforts in this case. The investigation and subsequent trial were difficult due to the reluctance of many witnesses to cooperate.”

Sentencing in this case is scheduled for a later date. Ethan Bennett faces a mandatory life sentence for
the murder convictions. The trials of co-defendants Everett Bennett and Travis Kates are scheduled for
February 28, 2022.

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

01 February 2022

BRUNSWICK, Ga — District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Gerald Jermain Wright, 43, of
Waycross, was convicted on January 26, 2022, of Party to the Crime of Malice Murder (one count) and
Party to the Crime of Felony Murder (two counts), following a three day jury trial.

The charges stem from the May 15, 2014 deaths of Javonnie Mondrea Chambers, 35, and his mother,
Mary Lee Chambers, 64, who were shot to death in their home in Hazlehurst, GA. Eyewitness testimony
at the time revealed that two individuals shot the victims, and another individual drove the vehicle, a
silver Dodge Charger, from which they fled the scene. Also present in the home at the time of the shooting was Mary Lee Chambers’ granddaughter and two minor children, ages 2 and 4.

The case was investigated by both the Hazlehurst Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation (GBI). In late 2017, GBI Agent Jason Nipper was assigned the case. Following countless leads and witness interviews, Agent Nipper discovered evidence that Wright, along with two co-
defendants, Robert Benjamin Brown, then 30, and Brandon Dante Hardaman, then 26, both of Jacksonville, FL, travelled to Jeff Davis County on May 15, 2014 in a silver Dodge Charger just prior to the
murders. Wright also drove two co-defendants from the scene following the shootings, wherein Mondrea Chambers was shot with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and his mother, Mary Lee, was killed by a .308 rifle round after the home was sprayed with .308 rounds by one of the co-defendants.

The trial, presided over by Superior Court Judge Roger B. Lane, began on January 24, 2022. Members of the Jeff Davis County jury quickly returned their guilty verdicts on all three counts. Chief Assistant District Attorney Ian Heap, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State, praised the jury for their verdict.

“This was a very difficult case and we are grateful that justice was done.” Judge Lane sentenced Wright to Life without Parole for one count of Party to the Crime of Malice Murder for the death of Mondrea Chambers.

Wright was also found guilty of one count of Party to the Crime of Felony Murder for the death of Mary Lee Chambers, and sentenced to Life without Parole to run consecutively with the Life sentence on the Malice Murder charge. Wright was also found guilty of Party to the Crime of Felony Murder for the death of Mondrea Chambers; however, he did not receive a sentence for that crime as he was already sentenced in the Malice Murder charge for the death of Mondrea Chambers.

The two co-defendants are expected to be on a trial calendar set for the week of May 9th.

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