September 5, 2002
A Moultrie man is found with a gunshot wound to his head. Investigator James Ellis says, "The body was in the car slumped over in the passenger floor board." A police officer spotted the abandoned car during an early morning patrol.
20-year-old Richard Thompson was found dead in his wife's car. People who live near the crime scene are accustomed to hearing gunfire, but not accustomed to finding bodies. Some area business owners say the area is getting to be very dangerous.
Tremethia Jones grew up with Thompson. She says, "I came around this corner and saw police cars. They told us someone was dead and told us the name. I said man, that boy was so sweet. I never thought anyone would do nothing that bad to him."
Lt. Isaac James was on an early morning patrol. He was driving down 8th Street when he spotted an abandoned car parked midway of this dead end. Investigator Ellis explains, "We check all vehicles on the side of the road, unless its in front of a house that's when he discovered the body."
Kathy Stripling works blocks from the crime scene. She says, "It's a bad area. They say they hear gunshots over here all the time."
Investigators admit they have confiscated a lot of drugs in the area. Stripling says, "Scary. I definitely will be more cautious as far as my work hours and that type of thing."
Investigators do not yet know a motive and do not have any suspects.
The car was towed to the Thomasville GBI crime lab to check for fingerprints. Thompson's body was sent to the Atlanta Crime lab for an autopsy.
posted at 6:06 PM by kathryn.simmons@walb.com
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