On Friday, April 22, 2022 a Spalding County jury convicted Joshua Fuller, a 30-year-old male from Riverdale, Georgia and Sonya Fuller, a 45-year-old female from Riverdale, Georgia of multiple charges after a week of trial.
The jury convicted Joshua Fuller of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Joshua Fuller had a prior conviction for Aggravated Assault for shooting into a house. The Honorable W. Fletcher Sams sentenced Joshua Fuller to Life in prison without the possibility of parole. The jury also convicted Sonya Fuller, Joshua Fuller’s mother, of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Hindering the Apprehension of a Criminal. Sonya Fuller had several prior felony convictions. The Honorable W. Fletcher Sams sentenced Sonya Fuller to Life in prison without the possibility of parole. On August 31, 2020, Sonya Fuller called her son, Joshua Fuller, to her hotel room at the Quality Inn and Suites in Griffin. Anthony Red, a 52-year-old man from Griffin, GA, was inside Sonya Fuller’s hotel room. In the room, Joshua Fuller pointed a gun at Anthony, shooting and killing him. Sonya Fuller was charged and convicted as a party to Joshua Fuller’s crimes. After the murder, the two, along with others, hid evidence and lied to police. Chief Assistant District Attorney David Studdard and Assistant District Attorney Adelle Petersen tried the case for the State. “this jury’s verdict sends a message to those that would commit these types of crimes in our community that this kind of lawlessness will not be tolerated”, said Studdard. District Attorney Broder echoed those statements and added “we will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to aggressively pursue those that perpetrate such lawlessness here.”
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LOCK YOUR MEDS AND DISPOSE THEM IN A SECURE AND SAFE WAY.
April 30th is DEA Take Back Day. You can drop off your expired or unused medication between 10AM-2PM at one of the following locations: * Peachtree City Police Department and Peachtree City Fire Rescue * City of Fayetteville Police Department * Fayette County Sheriff's Office - Georgia A limited number of prescription drug lock boxes will be given away for those dropping off prescription drug medications. Drug Free Fayette thanks these three law enforcement agencies - as well as Griffin Judicial Circuit, District Attorney's Office - for supporting the promotion of these lockboxes… This afternoon, a Fayette County jury convicted Joseph Huggins, a 22 year old man from Charleston, GA of Armed Robbery and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime. The Honorable Scott Ballard sentenced the defendant to 15 years on the Armed Robbery and 5 years on the Firearm charge for a total of 20 years to serve in prison. Assistant District Attorney Monique Harris tried the case for the State.
On May 28, 2021 officers with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Tyrone, GA and made contact with the victim of the armed robbery. The victim is a truck driver and was driving a truck with furniture from Arizona to a family’s new residence in Tyrone. He needed additional help to unload the trailer, so the dispatch company sent two additional people, one of them being the defendant. The defendant and his co-defendant were hired from Craig’s List to help with the job. The defendants asked the victim to go with them to procure additional equipment for the job. While in the car, the defendants pointed 2 guns at the victim and took everything he had on him, including: money, identification, a phone, credit cards, and his Bluetooth earbuds. They then kicked the victim out of the car, leaving him on the side of the road. The victim walked two miles back to the original address in Tyrone, and the police were called. The Sheriff’s Office’s investigation identified Defendant Huggins and his co-defendant as the perpetrators of the crime. They were arrested and brought to trial. Defendant Huggins was convicted after three days of trial. The co-defendant will be tried later. “I am so proud of ADA Harris and the Sheriff’s Office detective for their hard work this week.” District Attorney Broder said of the trial. “In her closing, ADA Harris told the jury that ‘the United States of America is the land of opportunity, and the victim in the case today was taking advantage of the opportunities by working hard and providing for his family. On May 28th, the defendant took advantage of him.’ I echo her sentiments. Fayette County citizens sent the message today that they will not tolerate violent crime happening here. Thank you to the jurors for that message. We will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to destroy our peace here.” The employees of the Griffin Judicial D.A. Office provided the children who are residents of the Promise Place shelter a special surprise Easter basket to help them celebrate the holiday. We want to wish everyone a Happy Easter and hope you enjoy this special day with family and friends.
Promise Place provides domestic violence services to residents of Pike, Spalding, Fayette and Upson Counties. For more information on the services they offer our community you can visit their website: https://promiseplace.org District Attorney Broder gave a presentation to the Kiwanis Club of Griffin today at their regular meeting. The District Attorney spoke on the Timothy Coggins cold case and of the role of the Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office in the court system.
District Attorney Marie Broder was the featured speaker at the March meeting of the Griffin-Spalding Pulaski Chapter of the D.A.R. D.A. Broder discussed current issues in the Griffin Judicial Circuit and the role of the District Attorney. If you would like the District Attorney to speak to your group contact her assistant at khaynie@fayettecountyga.gov.
Today, Joe Louis Arnold, a 46 year old man from McDonough, entered a guilty plea to one count of Rape and one count of False Imprisonment. He was sentenced to 30 years to serve in the Georgia Department of Corrections. District Attorney Broder handled the case and presented the plea to the Honorable Rhonda Kreuziger, who accepted it. The victim and her family were present at the plea and addressed the Court in a victim impact statement.
Arnold pled guilty to entering the home of the victim on March 24, 1998, beating her with a baseball bat, and raping her in her kitchen. The case went unsolved until November 18, 2020 when the defendant was arrested. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 requested that the DNA from the rape kit undergo familial DNA analysis. After that analysis, the defendant’s profile emerged as a match to the profile from the rape kit. A confirmation test was performed at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the defendant’s DNA was indeed a match to the DNA in the rape kit. After the confirmation, the defendant was arrested. District Attorney Broder said of the plea: “this was truly a team effort between my office and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. I cannot say thank you enough to the Sheriff’s Office and the work they did on this case. I am so proud of the victim and the strength she displayed throughout this case. She is a remarkable person, and I am honored to know her. This plea is a testament to tenacity and a refusal to give up on the part of all involved.” Today, Joe Louis Arnold, a 46 year old man from McDonough, entered a guilty plea to one count of Rape and one count of False Imprisonment. He was sentenced to 30 years to serve in the Georgia Department of Corrections. District Attorney Broder handled the case and presented the plea to the Honorable Rhonda Kreuziger, who accepted it. The victim and her family were present at the plea and addressed the Court in a victim impact statement.
Arnold pled guilty to entering the home of the victim on March 24, 1998, beating her with a baseball bat, and raping her in her kitchen. The case went unsolved until November 18, 2020 when the defendant was arrested. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 requested that the DNA from the rape kit undergo familial DNA analysis. After that analysis, the defendant’s profile emerged as a match to the profile from the rape kit. A confirmation test was performed at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the defendant’s DNA was indeed a match to the DNA in the rape kit. After the confirmation, the defendant was arrested. District Attorney Broder said of the plea: “this was truly a team effort between my office and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. I cannot say thank you enough to the Sheriff’s Office and the work they did on this case. I am so proud of the victim and the strength she displayed throughout this case. She is a remarkable person, and I am honored to know her. This plea is a testament to tenacity and a refusal to give up on the part of all involved.” Yesterday, a Spalding County jury convicted Malik Yarbrough of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. The jury deliberated for 25 minutes before delivering it’s verdict. Senior Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Presley and Assistant District Attorney Adelle Petersen tried the case for the State. Griffin Police Department investigated the murder.
Yarbrough, an 18 year old man from Griffin, was convicted of shooting Robert Donnel Brown in the back 3 times, killing him. The defendant claimed self-defense, but the jury rejected that defense with its verdict. Yarbrough murdered Brown on July 14, 2020 in the yard of a home on Melrose Avenue in Griffin. District Attorney Broder said of the verdict: “Robert Brown lost his life in a senseless act of violence. He was gunned down and executed by a man who did not have any regard for his life. Yesterday, a Spalding County jury sent a clear message to those like Yarbrough who commit violent crimes in our community…these acts will not be tolerated. I am proud of my office who worked so hard to bring this case to a jury. For those in this community who insist on continuing to bring violence to Spalding County, know this, my office is staffed and ready to continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute you.” The Honorable Scott Ballard will sentence Yarbrough on March 24th. When the Chase Comes to an End
Since my last column, my offices have continued to protect our community by trying cases. One of these cases was unique in that it involved a series of crimes committed during a police pursuit in Thomaston. The Defendant in that case, Terel M. King of Thomaston, was wanted on outstanding felony warrants and had been on the run for over two years from multiple agencies. Before we elaborate on his actions, let me answer some questions. What is a felony warrant? A warrant is a legal document issued by a Court that authorizes law enforcement to apprehend and arrest a person suspected of committing a crime. A felony warrant is issued when the suspected crimes involved are felonies. Felonies are crimes whose consequence includes a period of imprisonment over a year, while misdemeanors are crimes that are punishable with confinement of less than one year. In the absence of a warrant, an arrest may only be made if a law enforcement officer has "probable cause" to believe that a suspect has committed a crime. Where a warrant has been issued, an officer just needs to confirm that the person being arrested is the same one identified in the warrant. In short, any person who has warrants taken out against them risks being apprehended by any law enforcement officer they encounter. The alternative to flight is to turn yourself in to law enforcement and defend your rights in Court. Mr. King chose flight and made matters much worse for himself in the long run. On February 12, 2020, the Thomaston Police Department received word that Mr. King was in Thomaston and driving a gold Cadillac Escalade. The Department issued a "BOLO" or "be on the lookout" to all officers for the vehicle. King was spotted by an officer attempting to conduct a traffic stop. Instead of stopping, Mr. King began to drive recklessly through a residential area to flee and elude law enforcement. Eventually, another officer collided with King's vehicle on another residential street in Thomaston, after which King fled on foot. King jumped into a bystander's Nissan Pathfinder, but Officer Poore of the Thomaston Police Department used his taser to try to remove King from the stolen vehicle. King quickly accelerated away from the scene, throwing Officer Poore onto the road, and causing him serious injuries. King escaped and was not captured until May 14, 2020, with the help of United States Marshals, Thomaston Police Department, the Upson County Sheriff's Office, and Zebulon Police Department. The consequences of the above behavior were charges for Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer, Theft by Taking, five counts of Fleeing and Attempting to Elude, two Counts of Reckless Driving, and six traffic violations. In addition to the injuries sustained by Officer Poore, King's conduct could have caused serious bodily injury to other motorists, pedestrians, and other law enforcement officers. I am pleased to report that an Upson County jury convicted King on these counts and the Honorable Ben J. Miller, Jr. sentenced the defendant to 54 years with the first 31 years to be served in prison after the jury announced its verdict. This case was a reminder that while many of us are going about our daily routines, law enforcement officers run the risk that their next traffic stop could result in serious injury or death. This risk is heightened by those who flagrantly disregard the law and choose to try to escape from the consequences of their actions, instead of facing them in our justice system. I am proud of the hard work of law enforcement and my staff, including Assistant District Attorneys Ashton Fallin and Audrey Holliday in fighting so hard to bring Mr. King to justice and helping to keep us all safe. We’ll keep up that fight! Until next time, stay safe and be kind to one another. |
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