Newspaper Page Text
12A
JANUARY 8, 1998
From page one
shortened to “Diamond.”
She was last seen on December
27, the day she is believed to have
been murdered. On her way to
work, she stopped by the Pinnacle
Pines Ct. residence to collect her
mail. She had recently moved from
the home along with her children.
Accordingto police accounts of the
homicide, she was abducted
around 3 p.m. and driven to Burke
County in the Ford Explorer lent
to her by a friend. The murderer
tied her, placed duct tape across
her mouth and threw her from the
car on a deserted road. He then
ran over her helpless form until
she was an unrecognizable pulp.
Hedragged her into the woodsand
then left her.
Family recounts ordeal
of daughter’s death
From page one
Very little is known about the
trial of Garry Johnson. Mr.
Johnson was charged with malice
murder, felony murder, and steal
ing a car. He was acquitted of all
charges. Amazingly, no transcript
of the trial exists.
According to Richmond County
district attorney Danny Craig, that
is not unusual.
“When ajury returnsa not-guilty
verdict that’sit.” Mr. Craig was not
the district attorney at the time,
Mike Eubanks was.
The D.A.’s file on Garry Johnson
gives no clue as to why he was
acquitted.
“The case appears to have been
adequately prepared. 24 pieces of
physical evidence were submitted
includingphotos, pawn tickets, and
astatement from a Tennessee man
who identified Johnson as the man
who sold him a 1984 Oldsmobile a
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AUGUSTA FOCUS
Steve Beasley, whose home was
not far from the spot where Irene
Shields was murdered told Au
gusta Focus he believes he heard
the crime mmmimd. Ac
cording tn , he was awak
ened by his dogs barking at pre
cisely 4:18 a.m. several hours be
fore the woman'’s body was discov
ered. “Then | heard tires spinning
over and over in thedirt,” said Mr.
Beasley. He didn't go to investi
gate, figuring it was the usual hap
penings. The area has a reputa
tion of being a “lover’s lane.”
People would occasionally park and
drink in the area.
“I wish I could go back [in time].
Maybe I could have saved her life
or done something to scare him
off. It’sjust not fair,” Beasley said.
As the sad details of Irene
Shields’s last hours on earth are
revealed, it is strikingly clear to
those familiar with the case that
society’s response to her plea for
help was inadequate. Besides let
ting the police know that her life
was in danger, she reached out for
couple of days before Margaree
Bridges’ body was discovered.”
There hasbeen a suggestion from
Burke County law enforcement of
ficials — who have Mr. Johnson in
custody charged with killing Irene
Shields — that Mr. Johnson was
acquitted because crucial evidence
against him was inadmissable. The
details, however, have not yet sur
faced. And without a trial tran
script, they may never be fully re
vealed.
' Thetranscript matterisstrictlya
matter of economics according to
local attorney and state represen
tative Ben Allen.
“When a person is tried, unless
you specifically request atranscript
from the court reporter, there is no
transcript provided. Costsforatwo
or three day trial could be any
where from SSOO to $1,000,” Mr.
Allen said.
If the state loses a case, it’s rare
that it will appeal, Mr. Craig said.
With no appeal, there’s no need for
a transcript. On the other hand,
advice and counsel whereever she
could find it.
Burke County authorities re
ported that the victim contacted a
shelter for abused women (Safe
Homes of Augusta) and a local TV
station (Channel 12) days before
she died. Neither of those claims
at press . Police reported
that some of those who knew her
revealed they knew she feared for
her life. e .
Wto Sheriff rsey,
.the police have strong physical
evidence against the suspect who
has not confessed to the murder.
Later, he placed a cross where
she died. “If it was my mother or
my sister or even my daughter, 1
would want someone to know
where she left this earth, going on
to a place where she will feel no
more pain.”
Each of you should look to not
only your own interests, but also to
the interests of others. —
Philippians 2:4.
defense attorneys who win an ac
quittal, don’t want a transcript.
Under what conditions could Mr.
Johnson been acquitted?
“The possibilities are infinite,”
haveunderstood the court’sinstruc
tions regarding the evidence; the
credibility of the state’s witnesses
may have been successfully com
promise; the jury may not have
beenimpressed with thestate’scase.
“Things were differentback then,
Mr. Craig said. “In 1990, the state
was frequently subject to defense
by “ambush.” Defense attorneys
could present witnesses who were
unknown tothestate.” Thelaw has
been changed. Today, all potential
witnesses are known by both sides
—the prosecution and the defense.
The attorneys in the case are still
in the area, however.
From the D.A.’s office, the case
was tried by Jean E. Boyd. Since
marrying, her name is now Jean
Hughes and she works at the Fort
Gordon J.A.G. office. She could not
be reached by press time.
The attorney who represented
Mr. Johnson was Ben Jackson. Mr.
Jackson could not be reached by
presstime and did not return a
phone call.
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