Four charged in Valdosta man's murder

Terry Richards, The Valdosta Daily Times, Ga.
·1 min read

Mar. 6—RAY CITY — Three Valdosta residents and a Warner Robins man have been charged in connection with a Feb. 25 murder in Ray City, authorities said.

Norman Wright, 21, of Warner Robins, Ernest Smith, 23, and Eric Smith, 26, both of Valdosta, and Yas'mine Harris, 21, also of Valdosta, were each charged with three counts of felony murder, plus kidnapping, robbery and aggravated assault, according to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation statement.

The two Smiths, who are siblings, and Harris are being held in the Berrien County Jail while Wright is locked up in the Fulton County Jail.

The Berrien County Sheriff's Office asked the GBI to assist with a death investigation after the body of Ja'kesse Middleton, 20, of Valdosta was found dead by the side of Ga. 122 near Possum Creek Road, an earlier GBI statement said.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to contact the Berrien County Sheriff's Office at (229) 686-7071 or the GBI Region 4 Douglas Office at (912) 389-4103. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.