Haralson County murder suspect arrested after multi-county pursuits
Robert Anthony "Bobby" Hill (Haralson County Sheriff's Office)
HARALSON COUNTY, Ga. - A Haralson County man and his girlfriend are in custody after a confidential tip led investigators to a hidden body near the Polk County line, sparking a multiagency manhunt across north Georgia.
Robert Anthony "Bobby" Hill faces a long list of felony warrants, including murder, following a series of car and foot pursuits.
Haralson County homicide investigation
What we know:
The Haralson County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation May 22 after Sheriff Stacy Williams received an anonymous tip about a potential killing. Investigators found no active missing persons reports at the time, but the case shifted when family members reported Richard Cash missing the next day, noting he was last seen around 8:30 p.m. on May 20.
Deputies used technology and interviews to identify Hill as the suspect.
On May 24, Tallapoosa Police officers tried to stop Hill's vehicle, but he sped away into the county onto Valley Road, abandoned his car and ran.
Just after midnight on May 25, a Cherokee Sheriff's Office deputy spotted Hill inside another vehicle. When backup arrived and signaled a traffic stop, Hill jumped out and ran, throwing a pair of gloves containing a .38 firearm over a fence before deputies used a Taser on him.
His girlfriend, Christy Nelson, was detained at the scene.
Christy Nelson (Haralson County Sheriff's Office)
Following search warrants on May 25, multiagency teams using ATVs searched the Treat Mountain area. On May 27, Crime Suppression Unit deputies tracked an odor in a remote area, and a sergeant found the hidden body 15 feet inside the woods.
Missing information from authorities
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet released the official cause of death or a motive behind the killing. While investigators strongly believe the recovered remains belong to Cash, an official identification has not been completed by medical examiners.
Richard Cash (Haralson County Sheriff's Office)
What's next:
Hill faces 14 separate criminal counts, including murder, malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, concealing the death of another, and fleeing a police officer. Nelson faces five counts, including felony concealing the death of another, false statements and tampering with evidence.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Haralson County Sheriff's Office, who detailed the timeline of the investigation, vehicle pursuits, and subsequent arrests in an official agency media release.