By Jim Wallace - bio | email
ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Investigators still have few clues in the stabbing murder of Willie Haggines whose body was found in the Flint River Wednesday. Police are trying to figure out if Haggines was the victim of a gang crime.
Investigators continue to talk with people on Mobile Avenue, which is a hot spot for gang violence. Back in June, Reginald Richardson was beaten to death in a gang initiation just blocks from where Haggines was last seen.
Investigators say they have no evidence his death was gang related, but they are not ruling it out.
Investigators from Dougherty County Police and Albany Police continue interviews on Mobile Avenue, where 52 year old Willie Haggines lived.
"We're still doing neighborhood canvasses, trying to identify places that we know Mr. Haggines would frequent," Dougherty County Police Chief Don Cheek said.
Other Officers continue to search the banks of the Flint River south of Albany, where Haggines body was found by fishermen Wednesday. Friday a GBI autopsy revealed Haggines died of multiple slash and stab wounds in his face and chest.
Haggines was last seen in the Mobile Avenue area Saturday afternoon, and Investigators are looking into the gang presence.
"We are looking at all possible options. We have been in contact through the Investigators with APD's Gang Task Force. We are not ruling any contact out at all at this point," Cheek said.
Police asked the community for help in this murder Friday, and they received some calls, but so far they have received little information they need to solve this crime.
"We still have no idea where the actual homicide took place. We need to find that obviously," Cheek said.
So Police continue their investigation, and ask people who might have seen Haggines Friday or Saturday to call Investigators. They say any information, no matter how small, could help them with in this murder investigation.
Haggines body is still at the GBI Crime Lab in Atlanta for more testing. One thing they are still not completely sure of, was Haggines already dead when he was thrown into the River.
If you have any information, call Dougherty County Police at 229-430-6600, or the Albany Police at 229-431-2100, or the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office at 430-6500. Investigators from all three agencies are working together on this murder case.
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