How new tips broke open a 30-year-old Hazlehurst church murder case
James Hand (GBI)
ATLANTA - A 47-year-old man faces murder charges in Hazlehurst after authorities tied him to the shooting death of a local church pastor three decades ago.
What we know:
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged Zachary B. Harper with one count of felony murder and one count of malice murder.
On June 1, 1996, Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office deputies found the body of 54-year-old James Hand on the roof of the Full Gospel Church of Snipesville.
Hand, who served as the church pastor, was working on roof repairs when someone shot him multiple times.
The backstory:
The Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to help with the case shortly after deputies found Hand's body.
Over the last 30 years, local deputies and state agents from the Douglas regional office continued to hunt for answers.
Harper was already behind bars at the Jenkins Correctional Facility serving a life sentence for an unrelated conviction when investigators uncovered the new information that led to the charges.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not explained what specific piece of new information or evidence finally connected Harper to the 30-year-old killing.
Police have also not released a potential motive for the shooting.
What's next:
The investigation remains active and ongoing as state and local agencies gather more details. Once investigators finish the case file, they will hand the paperwork over to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
What you can do:
Anyone who has information about the shooting is asked to call the state regional investigative office in Douglas at 912-389-4103. People can also submit anonymous tips by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), visiting the state bureau website, or using the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a public release by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which explained the new criminal charges, jail status of the suspect, and details from the original 1996 crime scene.