Wednesday, June 29,2022
dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3A
New distillers
to lease space in
city hall complex
Two others accused in alleged
armed robbery linked to murder
Harper pleads to Forsyth charges related to killing cover-up
By Erica Jones
ejones@dawsonnews.com
During the June 20 meet
ing of the Dawsonville City
Council, council members
heard a presentation and
approved a request from
Doc Brown Farm and Dis
tillers to lease space in the
city hall complex.
The space in ques
tion is currently leased by
Dawsonville Moonshine
Distillery. During Mon
day's meeting, Dawsonville
Moonshine Distillery
owner Cheryl Wood asked
the council to consider
granting her an early termi
nation of her lease since she
will be selling the distillery
to new owners Doc Brown
Farm and Distillers.
“As you know, I'm sell
ing the Dawsonville Moon
shine Distillery to Doc
Brown Farm and Distill
ers, and I'm here to request
that my lease ends July 31
and begin theirs August 1,”
Wood said.
Following Wood's
request to the council, Amy
Brown, co-owner of Doc
Brown Farm and Distillers,
gave a presentation to the
council about her business,
which will be purchasing
the Dawsonville Moon
shine Distillery from Wood.
According to Brown, her
business is Georgia's very
first, and currently only,
seed to sip still. Based out
of Senioa, Georgia, Brown
and her partners grow corn
on their farm, grind it, fer
ment, distill and barrel-age
it.
“We grow heirloom, non-
genetically modified red,
white and blue corn — you
can't get any more patriotic
than that," Brown said.
Every step of the process
FROM 1A
Budget
to. In her budget presenta
tion, Gazaway noted the
seemingly huge difference
in the budget’s total from
last year’s budget of $5.3
million.
“It really looks bad, the
increase that we’re asking
for, but 90 percent of this
is just for the wastewater
treatment plant,” Gazaway
explained, “so 11 million
dollars is going to that and
another almost four mil
lion is the ARPA grant
money we’ll be spending.”
The amount allotted for
the new wastewater treat
ment plant, she said,
would cover its licensing,
design, finance and start
ing its construction. This
project is reflected on the
budget as part of the capi
tal outlay and enterprise
funding.
“It really looks like a
huge, huge increase but
it’s not on our general
everyday budget; it’s not
increased that much,”
Gazaway said.
According to
Gazaway’s budget presen
tation, besides the waste-
water treatment plant
stays in Georgia, she added,
from growing the corn to
the grinding process to the
barrels, which come from
Gainesville Cooperage in
Gainesville, Georgia.
“Everything that we do
literally comes from the
state of Georgia; we're
truly the one that starts it
on our farm and ends it in
your sip so it's all contained
in your state,” Brown said.
“And we’re proud of that,
we’re proud of our state.”
Doc Brown Farm and
Distillers has been in opera
tion since 2019, and Brown
said that purchasing the
Dawsonville Moonshine
Distillery from Wood and
adding retail space in the
city hall complex is a great
next step for the business.
“We’re three years into
this now and it just makes
sense that now we own our
own distillery to go along
with the farm,” Brown said
to the council. “We’re pur
chasing the distillery with
hopes that you guys will
lease the space to us as it
sits; we would love to have
a turnkey type where she
leaves and we walk in.”
After discussion of the
matter, the council mem
bers voted to enter into a
lease with Doc Brown Farm
and Distillers with the exact
same terms as the lease that
the city held with Wood
previously. Should Brown
need to change anything in
the lease, she will need to
reappear before the coun
cil during the next sched
uled meeting on July 18
to request that change and
bring it before the council
for another vote.
To learn more about Doc
Brown Farm and Distillers,
go to www.docbrownfarm.
com.
other expenditures for the
2022-23 fiscal year will
include road and sidewalk
work, improvements and
additions to Main Street
Park, improvements to
City Hall, equipment for
the Public Works depart
ment and the utilities
department and salaries,
among other things.
In addition to the
$3,314,251 in general
funding, the total budget
includes $2,057,683 in
enterprise funding,
$10,471,000 in capital
outlay funding,
$3,700,400 in ARPA
(American Rescue Plan
Act) funding, $1,643,000
in SPLOST 6 and 7 fund-
ing, $29,400 in
Downtown Development
Authority funding,
$230,200 in garbage
department funding,
$119,000 in cemetery
funding and $6,000 in
hotel-motel tax.
The new budget will go
into effect for the 2022-23
fiscal year, which will
begin on July 1, 2022 and
end on June 30, 2023. The
full budget can be viewed
on the city’s website.
Council members voted
unanimously to approve
the 2022-23 budget.
By Julia Fechter
jfechter@dawsonnews.com
Note: Kelly Whitmire
contributed Forsyth-spe
cific background informa
tion for this story.
Two people charged in
Hannah Bender's 2019
murder case were recently
accused of being par
ties to an alleged armed
robbery in which Austin
Todd Stryker, 25, was also
implicated.
Bailey Diane Williams,
23, and Isaac Thomas
Huff, 20, have been named
as co-defendants in Stryk
er's pending armed rob
bery case in Fumpkin
County, according to a
June 2022 indictment.
Fumpkin County is part
of the Enotah Judicial Cir
cuit, which also includes
Town, Union and White
counties.
Huff and Williams were
allegedly present while
Stryker allegedly commit
ted armed robbery at the
South Chestatee Street
Dollar General on July 7,
2019.
Motive and
murder narrative
Huff and Dylan Reid,
22, testified about their,
Stryker's and others'
involvement in a small
gang called “THIS” dur
ing their joint plea and
sentencing hearing and
Stryker's trial.
Before Stryker's
November 2021 trial in
Dawson County, pros
ecutors were successful
in getting evidence intro
duced describing that
Stryker's motive to kill
Bender was tied to his
belief that she might go
to police about the alleged
robbery.
During his own testi
mony at Stryker's trial,
Huff said that the gang
members allegedly
committed armed rob
bery at Dollar Gener
als in Dawsonville and
Dahlonega during sum
mer 2019.
Currently, charges have
FROM 1A
Elliott
Busch, Elliott finished
Stage Two in fourth posi
tion.
He would show his
recovery skills again after
taking a pit stop during
the lap 205 caution, com
ing out of that stop in
14th position but taking
just 10 laps to get back
into the top 5.
By this stage of the
night, Elliott found him
self part of a leading
only been filed in
Fumpkin County
for that alleged
armed robbery.
Bender was
killed during the
early morning on
Sept. 15, 2019,
while riding in
a Mazda pickup
truck with Stryker
and Huff. As the
truck neared the
Sweetwater Juno
Road area of
Dawson County,
Stryker shot
Bender in the head
without warning,
according to Huff's testi
mony at his and co-defen
dant Dylan Patrick Reid's
April 2021 plea hearing.
Testimony from
Stryker and a GBI medi
cal examiner who testi
fied at his trial suggested
that the gunshot may not
have been immediately
fatal. After shooting her,
Stryker reportedly stabbed
Bender at least 32 times.
She was later buried in a
shallow grave in North
Forsyth County, where
her remains were found
on Sept. 25, 2019.
At the end of the trial,
Stryker was found guilty
of killing Bender by
shooting and stabbing her
and convicted on all 24
of his charges tied to her
death. Then in December,
he was sentenced to life in
prison without the possi
bility of parole.
Huff received a sen
tence of 12 years in prison
and 18 years on probation
for his role in covering up
Bender's murder. Reid got
20 years with 15 years on
probation for the addi
tional culpability of tam
pering with evidence.
Previously, authori
ties arrested Bailey Wil
liams in October 2019 and
charged her with tamper
ing with evidence. She
allegedly helped Stryker
dispose of Bender's
belongings on Sept. 15,
2019, near a campground
off of Nimblewill Gap
Road in Fumpkin County.
group of Kyle Busch,
Martin Truex Jr. and
Denny Hamlin that would
remain together for most
of the race.
Elliott continued to
push the leaders, eventu
ally passing Truex Jr. and
Busch to briefly take the
lead before electing to be
in the first cycle of the
final pit stops of the
night.
While that choice
would come to benefit
Elliott compared to the
drivers who waited to pit,
the end of the race had
plenty of drama.
Harper
sentencings
At the end of
October, Jerry
Harper, 8 1,
pleaded guilty in
Dawson County to
multiple charges
for helping Stryker
evade police and
approving of
Bender's murder.
He admitted
to racketeering
activity involv
ing a homicide, a
violation of Geor
gia's street gang
law; hindering the
apprehension or punish
ment of a criminal and
a connected gang viola
tion. Prosecutors agreed
to not prosecute Harper on
charges of theft of a vehi
cle and a connected street
gang violation.
Then in December, he
was sentenced to 20 years
in prison for the racketeer
ing charge and
five years for the hinder
ing count, to be run con
currently with the previous
sentence. He received 10
years of probation for the
other gang violation. This
last count will follow the
prison time consecutively.
In April, Harper was
indicted in Forsyth
County on one count each
of concealing the death
of another and tampering
with evidence of Bender's
murder.
Per the indictment,
Harper concealed Bend
er's death by burying her
body and concealing a
Mazda truck to prevent
Stryker's arrest. Details
about Harper's participa
tion were recounted by
multiple witnesses and
prosecutors during his
sentencing and at Stryk
er's trial.
The lead investiga
tor for Bender's murder
case, Georgia Bureau of
Investigation agent Kris
tin Perry, recounted that
Harper's statements only
had the appearance of
initial cooperation, given
how his words conflicted
As the second cycle of
drivers went to pit road, a
loose tire on the track
caused another caution,
threatening to foil the
strategy of Elliott’s team.
Despite the incident, he
got himself out to the
front row at the restart
and was back in the lead
with 35 laps remaining.
With just 10 laps left in
the race, one last caution
would guarantee a frantic
final five laps. Staying
out during the caution,
Elliott burst out of the
restart and held off Kurt
Busch to win the race.
with other information
and how he initially with
held some details.
During interviews,
Harper told GBI agents
about seeing Bender's
body in the toolbox
Stryker had brought over
to the property where his
camper was. So, Perry
said she thought Harper
knew more than what he
was initially saying.
According to other
witnesses, Harper saw
the bloody Mazda truck
where Bender was killed,
told Stryker to clean it up
and coordinated taking the
vehicle to a friend's prop
erty to sell. At that same
property, Harper was
said to be present while
Stryker buried Bender's
remains.
“He had no direct
knowledge...yes, it's hor
rible for a decent person to
do. He should've known
better,” said attorney John
Warr of Harper, “but he
chose to help them after
the fact [of the murder].”
This May, Harper
pleaded guilty to the two
charges and was sen
tenced to 10 years on each
count, for a collective 20
years to be served con
current with the previous
case, according to Forsyth
County Superior Court
records.
The other remaining
defendant is the wife of
Stryker, Elizabeth Brooke
Donaldson, 24. She has
been arrested and charged
with concealing the death
of another and tampering
with evidence.
She allegedly helped
move Bender's remains
to a Blacks Mill Road
residence on Sept. 16,
2019, and strip interior
parts from the truck where
Bender was murdered.
Donaldson is expected
to have more court dates
in Dawson County later
this year.
DCN and its affiliates
will continue reporting on
the remaining defendants'
cases as more details
become available.
“These [wins] are hard
to come by,” Elliott said.
“You have to enjoy them
and you never know
when or if you’ll ever get
another one.”
For Elliott, the win in
Nashville was a complete
turnaround after a finish
there last season where
he was disqualified for a
post-race inspection vio
lation.
By securing his second
victory this season, Elliott
extended his lead in the
regular-season points
standings and now leads
the playoff standings.
EARLY DEADLINES FOR
MEMORIAL DAY
Because of the upcoming holidays Dawson County News
will alter its advertising and legals deadline as follows:
Retail Display Ads
Publication Date Deadline
Dawson County News
Midweek Edition 7/6-7 Thursday, 6/30 3:00pm
Classifieds / Legal Ads / Obituaries
Publication Date Deadline
Dawson County News
Classifieds 7/6-7 Thursday, 6/30 noon
DawsonCountyNews
will be CLOSED
Monday, July 4th 2022
in observance of Independence Day
Donation Shower
So sweet, so cuddly, so cute and fun. It is the season, the time has
come! Lots to do and things we need to take care of the kittens, all
sorts of breeds.
Donation Shower Registry
(New or open)
j >2. •
•V
£
Dry Kitten Food
Wet Kitten Food
Kitten Milk Replacer
(liquid)
Dawson County Humane Society
a no kill shelter
706-265-9160
Thank you for all of your kind donations! These
items will be used to care for all the mothers and
kittens that arrive at our shelter. View our wish list
at: www.dawsoncountyhumanesociety.org
Looking for kitten fosters, please call us for details.
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tues-Fri: 11am - 4:30pm
Sat: 12pm - 4:30pm
Sun: 1pm - 4:30pm
You may drop your gifts off at:
For more information contact the 706-265-9160 | 633 Martin Rd, Dawsonville
Dawson County Humane Society Adjacent to the Rock Creek Sports Complex
Visit our RESALE SHOP & BOUTIQUE
Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | 54 S. Lumpkin Campground Rd.
Dawsonville
Veterinary
Hospital
706-265-8381
ANH Collision
Specialists
706-216-0992
103 Industrial Park Road,
Dawsonville
All proceeds benefits
the Humane Society
Bradley M. Maple
CPA, PC
706-216-2362
2390 Thompson Rd • Ste 100
Dawsonville
Williams
