A Trion man stands accused of arson. The Walker County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 34-year-old Justin Curtis Rogers. Rogers was arrested over the weekend and faces charges of 1st degree arson and 1st degree burglary. The fire occurred just before 9am on April 23rd. According to authorities the home at 113 West Magnolia Street was vacant and did not have power at the time of the blaze. An investigation by the Walker County Fire Rescue and the Georgia State Fire Marshall’s office developed Rogers as a suspect. Rogers was a recent tenant of the property and reportedly had a heated exchange with the property owner over being evicted. Rogers was in the Walker County Jail on unrelated charges at the time of his arrest. He’s the owner of a lengthy arrest history that includes a number of drug related offenses, theft, hit and run and fighting.
Two defendants in a felony murder case in Walker County have been convicted. On August 1st of last year, Dakota Bradshaw was standing in front of a window at his home on East Peachtree Street in Rossville when he was fatally shot. Bradshaw was only 29 years old. This murder sparked a multi-state manhunt.
It eventually led to the arrests of four individuals. Yesterday, the GBI announced that two of the four suspects, Kavon Collier and Eric Dodds of Huntsville, were convicted last week by a jury in Walker County of Felony Murder. They are facing life in prison, potentially without parole. Their first sentencing hearing is later this month. Officials say that another suspect, Dajah Collins, pled guilty Tuesday morning and is awaiting sentencing. The last suspect, Darius Woods, who was also wanted for another homicide near Clarksville Tennessee is still going through his trial.
The Walker County Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help in locating Jeremiah Whitfield. Whitfield was last seen on May 21st at a convenience store on Wilson Road in Rossville. If you know the whereabouts of Jeremiah Whitfield contact Detective Andy Cash with the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office.
A Rossville native died this weekend from injuries sustained while competing in the half-Ironman. Marshall Martin suffered serious injuries after crashing his bike in the competition. The Walker County Sheriff’s Office says the bike crash happened around 9:30 a.m. near highway 193 and Georgia Highway 2 on May 21st. According to IRONMAN data, there have been nearly 200 deaths during the competition since 1986. Funeral services for Martin will be held on Monday.
