About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 2019)
Wednesday, October 23,2019 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3A Murder suspect returned to Ga. By Alex Popp DCN Regional Staff Austin Todd Stryker, the 22-year-old man who authorities consider a prime murder suspect in the death of a Lumpkin County woman, has been extradited back to Georgia from Pennsylvania, officials say. According to Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy Jarrard, Stryker was returned to the custody of the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Oct. 15 for arrest warrants for mur der and armed robbery. Stryker is accused of killing Hannah Bender, a 21-year-old woman from Dahlonega who was reported missing by her mother on Sept. 19. Bender’s body was later discovered buried in a shallow grave off Parks Road in north Forsyth in late September. At a press conference held following the dis covery of Bender’s body, Jarrard told reporters that authorities believe that Bender was killed at a campsite in Lumpkin County, but the search for her body involved law enforcement authorities from multiple agencies and crime scenes in Lumpkin, Dawson and Forsyth counties. The discovery of Bender’s body sparked a statewide manhunt for Stryker, who after several weeks spent on the run surrendered to authorities in Pittsburg on Wednesday, Oct. 1. On Friday, Jarrard said that in addition to the warrant for murder, Stryker is being charged with armed robbery for an unrelated robbery at a Lumpkin County Dollar General that took place in July. Jarrard said that Stryker is currently being held in custody in Lumpkin County, but that he could be moved to a different county based on the outcome of the ongo ing GBI investigation. “The Georgia Bureau of Investigations is still pursuing the case to see where the jurisdiction will fall,” he said. In addition to Stryker’s arrest, authorities have charged five other indi viduals in connection with Bender’s death. Those arrests include the following individuals: Elizabeth Donaldson, 21, was arrested in Dawson County on Wednesday, Sept. 25 — the day law Bender’s body was discovered — and has been charged with tampering with evi dence. Donaldson is reportedly Stryker’s wife. Stryker Jerry Harper, 78, was arrested Sept. 27 in Dawson County and charged with theft by receiving stolen property and driving while license suspended or revoked, but the GBI previously stated it had taken war rants out for Harper for “concealment of dead body” and “tampering with evidence” in Forsyth County. Harper is being held in custody under no bond. On Monday, Sept. 30, Dawson County residents Isaac Huff, 18, and Dylan Reid, 19, were arrested in Dawson by the GBI. Huff has been charged with one felony count for concealing death and is accused of allowing another to keep Bender’s body on his property. Huff is being held in cus tody under no bond. Reid has been charged with felony counts of tampering with evidence and concealing death. He is accused of knowingly concealing evidence con nected to Bender’s mur der, concealing Bender’s death and hindering the discovery of her body. Reid is being held in cus tody under no bond. On Tuesday, Oct. 1, Bailey Diane Williams, 21, of Lumpkin County was arrested in Lumpkin County in connection with the case. Williams has been charged with tampering with evidence. Williams was later released from custody on a bond of $10,200. Authorities would not comment on any of the suspects’ relationships to Bender or each other. Authorities previously stated that more arrests are possible as the inves tigation continues. AFFORDABLE DENTURES & IMPLANTS* 1078 Lumpkin Campground Road, Suite 300 NOW OPEN! SMILE DAWSONVILLE We’re finally here! ARDAVAN ASKARI, DDS GENERAL DENTIST ASK US ABOUT IMPLANTS! 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According to Hansard, the response to the new playground from the com munity has been positive. “Just from what I’ve heard and from hearing from the teachers at the schools, the kids are beginning to come out, the families are beginning to come out to use this equipment because they know it’s here,” Hansard said. Reflecting on the last five years, Hansard estimates the club has raised around $40,000 that has been com pletely put back into the community through the club’s projects. Beyond the ongoing playground project at Veterans Memorial Park, the club sponsors Christmas stockings and gifts for the residents of North Georgia Assisted Living, provides pizzas for the spring and fall Special Olympics, sends children to Camp Big Heart in Warner Robins, cele brates Pastors Appreciation Day and sponsors the annual Miss Sparkle pageant for the county’s exceptional girls. “We’ve done so much good, I think, for our community and I think if we can get some more members this will be a club that can do so much for developmentally challenged children and adults,” said Civitan member and Dawsonville Mayor Mike Eason. Looking towards the future of the club, Hansard would like Civitan to strengthen its partnerships with North Georgia Assisted Living and Dawson County Schools through smaller ongoing projects and the establishment of a Junior Civitan Club at Dawson County High School. “We’re looking to grow and build and get more members,” Hansard said. “The more members we’ve got, the more money we can make, the more we can sell stuff, the more projects we can do and I think we do a lot considering it’s just the four of us.” Civitan is currently selling raffle tickets for the 12 Days of Guns, an event they have done for the past four years in partnership with Appalachian Armory. For $20, ticket holders receive 12 raffle tickets that will be entered to win a gun during the first 12 days of December. They can be purchased at Appalachian Armory or from a Civitan member. Connections @ Work There are a lot of business communications providers out there. 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