BAINBRIDGE, GA (WALB) - The Decatur County Sheriff's Office believes it has solved a murder from 2001.
Tuesday, a grand jury indicted 27-year old Brandon Smith for shooting 29-year old Wendy Kay Bryan at a liquor store in Bainbridge.
Two other suspects were indicted in the case for attempted robbery.
Ansley Bryan, now 17, was only 6 when her mother Wendy was killed. "It was very hard growing up without my mom. I've been through a lot of things and it's harder now, but I'm actually happy to know that I will know the truth. It feels great to know that," said Bryan.
Wendy Bryan had only been working at The Winery liquor store in Bainbridge for a few days when the attempted armed robbery occurred.
Police say Brandon Smith and 28-year old Danterrius Faison entered the store with guns and demanded money from Bryan.
When she moved toward the register, Smith shot her once in the abdomen, which turned out to be fatal.
"I hope they get life in prison and they don't get to come out because they took my life away so I think they should have their life taken away," said Ansley.
"Exactly. She is right. Losing Wendy, she lost a lot," said Wendy Bryan's Sister, Rosa Newsome.
The case was cold until 2009 when a conviction in a separate murder opened the door for this one. "The crack in the case came from Willie Earl, Jr. He was the driver in this robbery murder that happened at the winery. He was also involved in the murder in April of 2009 of James Christian," said Decatur County Sheriff Wiley Griffin.
Police say 29-year old Willie Earl McGriff Jr led them to the other suspects. "We have never stopped working this case. We have had other investigators work on this case from 2001, but it's just tough putting all the parts together especially with the one who did the shooting is in jail, in another state," said Griffin.
District Attorney Joe Mulholland says this was one case everybody knew about. "It's one of those cases that you never forget in a sense that the community still talks about it. You know I talked to some of the grand jurors about it afterwards and their like oh yea the winery case. So hopefully we'll be able to get some closure for the family."
The suspects are expected to face trial in August.
Police say 28-year old Terryl Akins was a passenger in the getaway car during the shooting. He and Danterrius Faison are charged with criminal attempt to commit robbery.
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