Body of beloved Henry County bookstore owner found in creek, employee charged in her death

Police are investigating the death of a beloved Henry County bookstore owner whose body was found in a Georgia creek.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says deputies recovered 42-year-old Erica Atkins’ body on Sunday afternoon. Atkins owned Birdsong Books in Locust Grove.

Locust Grove police confirmed to Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin that they arrested and charged Romero Johnson, an employee of the bookstore, in Atkins’ death.

Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills told Channel 2 Action News that his office received a call from Jones County Sheriff’s Office about a fisherman spotting a woman’s body in Cedar Creek.

Jones County deputies called Putnam County because the body was on their side of the creek. Putnam County deputies proceeded to recover the woman’s body.

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Sills told Channel 2 Action News that he also received a call from Locust Grove police about a homicide investigation. Locust Grove police sent Sills photos of the homicide victim and confirmed it was Atkins.

Officials are working to determine Atkins’ cause of death and where she was killed.

Johnson faces murder and kidnapping charges and is currently sitting in the Henry County Jail.

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