Officials still seeking leads on one-year anniversary of double homicide in Hartwell

Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of a double-homicide shooting that occurred outside a Hartwell nightclub, and the Hartwell Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation still need the public’s help in cracking the case.  

Hartwell Police Chief Anthony Davis says the case has gone completely cold.  Davis has been in law enforcement for 35 years, all with the Hartwell Police Department.  He says this is the first time in his entire career that he has ever seen a murder remain unsolved for this length of time.

Davis says, “35 years ago, we could have solved this case in 72 hours. 35 years later, you know, homicides have gotten harder to solve because people just don’t want to get involved.  You know, they don’t want their name out there.  They don’t want anybody to say,  “Oh this person is the person that told this.”   And you know, listen, unless you’ve got somebody standing there with a smoking gun in their hand, and you catch them red handed, it’s hard to get people to come forward and speak.”

According to earlier WLHR reports, In the early morning hours of Labor Day in September 2022, gunfire erupted in the parking lot of Jack’s Bar & Grille.  Two men were killed in the shooting, 39-year-old Roberius Meqwan Thornton of Hartwell, and 25-year-old Joseph Tyrone Johnson of Bowman.  At least two other people were injured and several parked cars sustained damage from the bullet holes.  Jack’s closed a few days later.

Davis says not only is this case important to him professionally, but personally.

“I know one of the families involved in this.  I know personally.  And yes, I would like to see it solved. For both families that lost someone, but like I said, one of the families. . .I knew the family.”

Davis says if you have any information, you can call the Hartwell Police Department at 706-376-3111 or the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Tip Line a 800-597-TIPS (8477). You can also submit tips online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.  You may remain anonymous.