2nd murder warrant signed for accused killer of 2 deputies

BYRON, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say a second murder warrant has been issued in the deaths of two Peach County sheriff's deputies.

J.T. Ricketson, special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, says 57-year-old Ralph Elrod remains under 24-hour armed guard at a Macon hospital.

Ricketson tells The Macon Telegraph (http://bit.ly/2eXGLWN) a second murder warrant was secured against Elrod after Deputy Daryl Smallwood died last week, days after Sgt. Patrick Sondron's death.

He says authorities served the first warrant while Elrod was hospitalized, but are awaiting his release to serve the second warrant.

The deputies were shot Nov. 6 while approaching Elrod's home. They were responding to a report that Elrod used a rifle to threaten two young men who were riding a motorcycle and a four-wheeler near his property.

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Information from: The Macon Telegraph, http://www.macontelegraph.com