VALDOSTA —
Following a trail of pawned and sold items, authorities have connected five people to the Christmas Day 2012 arson and robbery of the Ousley Road Church of God in Christ and possibly solved several other church burglaries in the process, according to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office.
The recovery of property stolen from a Morven church led investigators to a Valdosta pawn shop and soon spurred a joint investigation between the Lowndes, Brooks and Thomas County Sheriff's Offices, reports stated.
The investigation led to the issuance of arrest warrants in Lowndes County for Martavius Deshad Davis, 23, and Relandall Megal Samuel, 27, in connection to the church burglary and arson at the Ousley Road church. The two men have each been charged with first degree arson, second-degree burglary and vandalism to a place of worship.
Warrants have also been issued for Archie Bryant Cone, 22, Kelle Lawrence, 25, and Jessica McKeitchen, 20, for their possession of stolen goods, which they sold in Lowndes County, and the three have been charged with theft by receiving stolen property, reports stated.
Bryant and Lawrence have also been charged with theft by deception, reports stated.
All five of the accused have been arrested but only Davis and McKeitchen have been returned to Lowndes County, according to reports.
The three others are in the Thomas and Brooks County jails and will be returned to Lowndes County in the near future, reports stated.
Nothing learned from the investigation so far has indicated that the Ousley Road church fire was a hate crime, but rather that the fire was a result of the actions of the pair while burglarizing the church, reports stated.
Sheriff Chris Prine has stressed that this investigation is ongoing and persons with information are asked to contact investigators at 229-671-2950, online at www.lowndessheriff.com or via the anonymous tip line at 229-671-2985.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Following a trail of pawned and sold items, authorities have connected five people to the Christmas Day 2012 arson and robbery of the Ousley Road Church of God in Christ and possibly solved several other church burglaries in the process, according to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office.
Discussion
Arrests made in church arson case
- Local News
-
-
VDT Weekend Update
News Reporter Caitlin Barker speaks to Bernard Bulemu and Eric Mathis, representatives from the South Georgia Regional Library about their summer programs for kids, teens and adults during the month of June, as well as lists fun summer camps taking place in the Valdosta area.
-
Troopers prepare for Memorial Day traffic
Georgia State troopers are preparing for patrols during the peak travel times this coming holiday weekend.
-
Blaze damages cars, blocks I-75
A tractor-trailer transporting automobiles northbound on Interstate 75 Thursday morning caught fire just north of exit 5 in Lake Park.
-
VECA recognized at VSU
Rising juniors from the Valdosta Early College Academy (VECA) were recognized at Valdosta State University Wednesday night as the first group of students to begin earning college credit while still in high school.
-
Businesses raise funds for Oklahoma disaster
By now, we’ve all heard about the tragedy in Moore, Okla., a mile-wide, F5 tornado with winds of more than 200 miles per hour carved through 17 miles over a span of 50 minutes on Monday afternoon.
-
Southwestern State Hospital to close
One of Thomas County’s largest employers — at more than 700 people — and a longtime regional state mental hospital will close Dec. 31.
-
Search for survivors continues
Helmeted rescue workers raced Tuesday to complete the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a mammoth tornado destroyed countless homes, cleared lots down to bare red earth and claimed 24 lives, including those of nine children.
-
Curator offers arts a helping hand
If you’ve been to the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts in the past four years, you have seen the quiet art of Bill Shenton.
-
Albino gators visit Wild Adventures
Two rare albino American alligators have joined the other gators at Wild Adventures for the summer.
-
Officers wound man in shootout
A Lanier County man was wounded Saturday during an exchange of gunfire with lawmen, according to a Lanier County Sheriff’s Office press release.
- More Local News Headlines
-
