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Elizabeth Hammock is SGES Valedictorian.
Thomas Smith is Salutatorian
barnesville.com
Barnesville, Ga. 30204
Puppy mill couple enter guilty pleas
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.CQm
A Lamar County couple
charged with running a puppy
mill at their Johnstonville
Road home entered guilty
pleas Wednesday morning
in Monroe County superior
court. John David Matthews
and Latitia Adele Matthews
each pleaded guilty to all the
30 counts filed against them
which were six counts ag
gravated cruelty to animals,
23 counts cruelty to animals
and one count of improper
disposal of a dead animal.
Judge Tommy Wilson sen
tenced each to 10 years pro
bation, $2,500
fine and 250
hours of com
munity service
under the first
offender act.
Each is subject
to a search
and specimen
clause and nei
ther can have J- MATTHEWS
or control any
animal during the probation
ary period.
Prosecutor Jessica Rock
asked the fines be earmarked
for the construction of the
new Lamar County animal
shelter though it was unclear
if that was allowed under
the various
applicable
statutes.
The Mat
thews were
arrested
March 13,
2019 when
state ag
riculture
L. MATTHEWS department
officials and
Lamar investigators raided
their property, Sweet Basil
Kennels, finding dogs living
in filthy, excrement-filled
pens without food or water.
Eighteen live pigs and nine
dead pigs were also located.
Hungry dogs roaming the
property were seen eating the
dead pigs during the raid.
A second raid on Sweet
Basil Kennels June 5, 2019 by
agents of the Georgia Depart
ment of Revenue resulted in
arrests of both defendants on
an additional count of felony
tax evasion.
The defense told Judge Wil
son Wednesday the Matthews
have paid their back taxes
and the state Department of
Revenue has dropped the tax
evasion charges. The defense
also argued against large
fines, noting the allegations
“have cost them a consider
able amount of money”.
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
“She had 15 bullet holes in her"
Accused killer Jaylan Jashad Ray (right) had bond set at $5 million her body here,
by Judge Tommy Wilson here May 4. Prosecutor Wayne Jernigan told the The hearing was held amid tight security which included Sgt. Jerry
judge Ray shot 17-year-old D’Shunti Hunter seven times before dumping Meadows of the LCSO (left).
Hit by train,
Nancy Butts
has died
Nancy Butts, who was
struck by a train while on her
morning walk in downtown
Barnesville, April 22, died early
Saturday, May 8 at Eternal
Hope Hospice in Griffin, ac
cording to her husband Don.
She was 66.”It was her wish
that there be no funeral or me
morial service and 1 will honor
that wish. People wanting to
can send donations to Doctors
Without Borders or the Dolly
Goodpuppy Society in Nancy’s
name,” he said. She is also
survived by a son, Evan.
Abreu
released
on bond
Former Barnesville mu
nicipal judge Henry Abreu was
released from
the Lamar
County jail
Tuesday on a
$75,000 bond
posted by
family. Abreu
ingested a
quantity of
meth during
a drug raid at his home at 123
Stafford Ave. in Barnesville
March 31. He was subsequently
hospitalized and then sent to
a nursing home. He checked
himself out of the care facil
ity April 23 and was arrested
as he waited for a ride. Abreu
is charged with distribution
of meth within 1,000 feet of a
school, possession of meth
with intent to distribute, traf
ficking in meth, tampering with
evidence, obstruction, pos
session of a firearm during the
commission of a felony, pos
session of drug related objects
and possession of marijuana.
ABREU
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Teen's alleged killer gets $5 million bond
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
A 22-year-old Albany man
charged with killing a teen girl
and dumping her body here
Jan. 10 was in court May 4 for
probable cause and bond hear
ings. Jaylan Jashad Ray was
arrested Jan. 13 in Tallahassee
after three days on the run. He
is charged with murder and
aggravated assault with more
charges pending.
The body of D’Shunti Kyanni
Hunter, 17, was found at the
rear of the Unionville Church
cemetery off High Falls Park
Road.
Public defender Doug Smith
noted Ray was eligible for bond
under statute because he has
been jailed 90 days without
being indicted. He called Ray’s
mother, Anita Edwards, and a
Georgia Gwinnett professor,
Mazim Ortega, as character
witnesses.
Judge Tommy Wilson tried to
discern from Edwards informa
tion about Ray using her car
while he was a fugitive from
justice but she was evasive.
Smith intervened.
“We ask for a reasonable
bond. A $1 million bond is not a
reasonable bond. No one in this
room could make a $1 million
bond,” Smith argued.
Deputy chief assistant dis
trict attorney Wayne Jernigan
began to get into the facts of
the case to which Smith ob
jected. Judge Wilson allowed
Jernigan to proceed.
“This defendant has no ties
to Lamar County. He crossed
two state lines after the killing.
He cleaned a 17-year-old girl’s
blood out of his car. That girl
was shot seven times. She had
15 bullet holes in her. Seven of
them were entrance wounds,”
Jernigan revealed.
Without hesitation, Judge
Wilson said Ray was definitely
a flight risk and set bond at $5
million. Ray left the courtroom
amid tight security. Several
members of Hunter’s family
were in the courtroom for the
proceedings.
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
LC’s Alaina Cato (8) tries to break through the Bremen defense in last week’s 3-0 Elite 8 loss. In the background are Lady Trojans Maci-Lauren Lanier (12)
and Ally Bloxham (18).
©2021 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS