About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 2024)
Killing of nursing student out for run underscores fears of solo female athletes, inside,3a Tuesday, February 27,20241 GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA I gainesvilletimes.com Trial begins for man accused of killing girlfriend BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Alexis Roberson wanted to sur prise her daughter for her first day of school. Living three-and-a-half hours away, Roberson was working nights in Gainesville. Natasha Johnson had agreed to take care of the young girl in Fort Gaines until Roberson got back on her feet financially. Roberson, 26, told her friend she was going to leave around 2 a.m. to get there in time. But Johnson received a call around 11 p.m. from Roberson crying, telling Johnson that she and Rashon Bacon, 45, would not be coming. “She said she was tired of him sitting there getting high while she was trying to come see her baby off to school,” Johnson said. Roberson was found dead with seven stab wounds Aug. 22, 2022, inside her home in the 3300 block of McDougal Road. Bacon faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on malice murder, as both sides offered opening statements Mon day, Feb. 26, in a bench trial. Assistant District Attorney Mor gan Cox said one of the wounds on her neck “was so deep and so destructive it ended up nicking one of Alexis' arteries” and one of her lungs. The murder weapon has not been found. Cox said Bacon repeatedly lied during his interview with law enforcement, acting stunned to find out Roberson was dead. He repeated to the investigators that he would never hurt Robertson. “And at one point, he blames her death on these two mysterious Hispanic gentlemen that were at the house who no one else saw,” the prosecutor said. Weeks before, Bacon opted for a bench trial. Instead of a jury, Supe rior Court Judge Kathlene Gosselin will decide his fate and sentence. He was also charged with felony mur der and aggravated assault under the Family Violence Act. See Bacon 13A Open ears, helpful hands Photos by Scott Rogers The Times Gainesville homeless were treated Friday, Feb. 23, to music performed live by Gainesville musician Eduardo Cautino during the weekly event on Dorsey Street that provides food, showers, haircuts, clothing and other services to about 100 homeless people. The Street Outreach event is put on weekly by Ninth District Opportunity with help from volunteers and other organizations. Jury selection begins in teacher sex assault trial BY BEN ANDERSON banderson@gainesvilletimes.com Jury selection began Monday, Feb. 26, in the trial of a former East High High School substitute teacher charged with sexually assaulting an underage girl he met at the school. The trial was scheduled to begin with opening statements Tuesday morning. Christopher Brennen Young, 23, was arrested in July 2022 following a Hall County Sheriff's Office investigation that began after one of the girl's relatives reported her suspi cions to law enforcement. Young is charged with one count of aggravated child molestation and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. If found guilty by a jury on any of the charges, he faces a minimum of 25 years in prison. Young was previously also charged with aggravated sod omy and violation of the Computer Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act. District Attorney Lee Darragh declined to comment when asked why those two charges were dropped. Young worked as a substitute teacher for Hall County Schools from January to May 2022, district spokesman Stan Lewis previously told The Times. Lewis had said Young primarily subbed at East Hall High School but spent some days at Mount Vernon Elementary School. “We have no evidence that other students were involved,” Lewis said in 2022. Senior Judge Walter Matthews will be presiding over the trial. The case had been assigned to Superior Court Judge Kathlene Gosselin, but she was overseeing a murder trial. Young Maintenance for railroad in S. Hall planned for March BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com Get ready, South Hall drivers, for railroad crossings to close for maintenance. The work is set to start in early March “with one team coming through, moving north as they go, laying rail fol lowed by a second team behind them installing ties,” Nor folk Southern spokeswoman Heather Garcia said in an email. Exact dates weren't available as of Monday, Feb. 26. The South Hall roads affected by the work include Spring Street, Lights Ferry Road, Radford Road, Chamblee Road and Main Street in Oakwood, she said. Spring Street and Lights Ferry Road lead into downtown Flowery Branch from Atlanta Highway/Ga. 13. Radford Road just outside Flowery Branch is a busy cut-through for drivers between Ga. 13 and McEver Road. The Chamblee Road crossing is in an industrial area near Oakwood. The Main Street crossing is downtown Oak- wood near City Hall. “Signage will be posted telling drivers where to go,” Gar cia said. She added: “How many crossings are closed at a time will be determined by how quickly the crews work.” However, Norfolk Southern frequently installs tempo rary crossings to allow vehicle traffic to flow if one crew has finished its work “and the second crew is running a little behind,” Garcia said. “We try to make this very necessary process as unin- trusive as possible for the communities involved, and we appreciate the patience while our teams work to complete this project safely,” she said. Flowery Branch has posted on Facebook that Norfolk Southern has informed the city about the work. “This routine maintenance, occurring every 15-20 years, is crucial for ensuring the safety and efficiency of our rail way system,” the post says. “While we don't have the exact dates and duration yet, Norfolk Southern has assured us that they will provide a 3-4 day notice before the work begins. “This heads up will help us plan and prepare for any potential impacts on the three crossings.”
