Cold case investigators arrested a suspect in the case of Christy Dawn Myers, a mom aged 20 when she was found dead on a Georgia highway in September 1998. Read on for more details.
The Arrest Update
On October 2, a major update on the case arrived when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced the arrest of James Lawrence III of Irwin County in connection with the crime. He’d been taken into custody the previous day.
According to CBS News, “Myers was found on Broxton-Fitzgerald Highway. Investigators say they determined that the 20-year-old had been stabbed multiple times the night before.”
James Lawrence III was charged with malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault.
WJCL reported that “advances in forensic testing” helped investigators identify the suspect.
What Happened
Christy Myers left a local store late on September 14, 1998, but she never made it home. Not long after midnight on September 15, someone found her beside her car on the Broxton-Fitzgerald Highway in Coffee County. She’d been stabbed multiple times.
Per WALB, “officials determined people in the area had heard a conversation and then a car engine accelerate. Someone went to investigate what they’d heard and found Myers dead from stab wounds.”
The Family Speaks Out
The outlet also noted that her family wasn’t aware of anyone who might have wanted to hurt her. In 2003, her grandmother told the outlet, “We weren’t aware that she had any enemies.” She added, “Everybody loved her. She was just a happy-go-lucky person.”
During the press conference, her daughter Chelsea said that she can recall her mom seemed to be a happy person who enjoyed singing and taking long walks.
Modern Forensics Helped
The agent in charge of the cold case said on Friday that the investigation team managed to match “conclusive latent fingerprint and DNA evidence” to James Lawrence III.
Over the years, evidence was submitted as forensic technology improved. It took nearly 30 years, and when the GBI cold case unit was formed in 2023, investigators finally got what they needed to arrest a suspect in the case of Christy Myers.
So far, it’s not known where the print was found, or which kind of DNA established the connection.
The Motive
It hasn’t yet been revealed what the motive might be. However, it’s very likely that when the case gets to court, more information will arrive.
The police are looking for more information regarding the case, and folks who might have seen anything at all are urged to contact the Douglas Regional Investigative Office at 912-389-4103, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office at 912-384-4227, or the tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS.
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