Suspects sought in Valdosta murder case
May 21—VALDOSTA — Police are searching for three teen-age suspects in a weekend shooting that left a 15-year-old dead.
A Valdosta Police Department statement released Tuesday named the suspects as Jamar Rashad Wimbush, 17, Tyrell Bolden, 17, and Lutravis Hester, 16. All three are Valdosta residents.
They are wanted on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, the statement said.
The three are considered armed and dangerous; anyone who sees them or knows where they are should call 911, the statement 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, a Valdosta Police Department 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 Police Chief Leslie Manahan.
"Before law enforcement can make notifications to a family, we have processes that we must follow, along with providing resources to assist these families. The insensitivity of someone posting a tragic situation that affects others is unexplainable," she 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.
