UPDATE: Police: Three suspects in custody for teen's death

Terry Richards, The Tifton Gazette, Ga.
·2 min read

May 23—VALDOSTA — Three teen-age suspects are in custody following in a weekend shooting that left a 15-year-old dead.

On Tuesday, the Valdosta Police Department issued a statement asking for the public's help to find the three suspects. All three are Valdosta residents.

The police named the suspects as Jamar Rashad Wimbush, 17, Tyrell Bolden, 17, and Lutravis Hester, 16.

They have been charged with felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, the police said.

Wednesday around 6:30 p.m., detectives were told the three might be in an apartment in the 800 block of West Mary Street. Officers and Lowndes County Sheriff's Office deputies found Bolden and Hester there and they were taken into custody without incident, the police department said Thursday.

Friday morning, the police learned that Wimbush had turned himself in at the county jail, police said.

Around 11:48 p.m. Saturday, officers headed to a parking lot at Scott Park, in the 1100 block of Old Statenville Road, after a caller to E911 reported a shooting, the police statement said.

They found an unresponsive 15-year-old boy lying alone in the parking lot with gunshot wounds. The officers rendered first aid until EMTs arrived, but the boy was declared dead on the scene, the statement said.

The shooting was an isolated incident, police said.

The victim's family found out about the boy's death not from the police but through social media posts, said Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan.

"We are grateful for the assistance from the Tifton Police Department, Cook County Sheriff's Office, Ocilla Police Department, Irwin County Sheriff's Office, and the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, throughout the investigation. The teamwork between these agencies has been incredible, and an example of how we all work together to ensure we get dangerous offenders out of our communities. I am continuously proud of the non-stop work of our detectives to conduct thorough investigations for our victims," Manahan said.

Those with information on this case should contact the Valdosta Police Department Bureau of Investigative Services at 229-293-3145, the crime tip line at 229-293-3091, or file a tip online at www.valdostacity.com/police-department.

Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.