In the early morning hours of December 15, 2022, the quiet of Garfield, Georgia, was broken by the sound of a 911 call reporting a house fire. This call would set in motion a chain of events that would leave a 45-year-old man, Nathan Reuben Street, dead from a gunshot wound. The incident, which began with accusations of arson, concluded with a fatal confrontation on a rural road in Emanuel County.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, a woman at 1077 Friendship Church Road called for help around 3:20 a.m., claiming her home was on fire and that Nathan Reuben Street was the person who had set it. As firefighters were being dispatched, the caller's husband, 29-year-old Wesley Melton, and her father-in-law, 58-year-old Gregory Melton, decided to pursue Street themselves. The two men located Street a short distance from their home and attempted to detain him until law enforcement could arrive.
A struggle ensued between the three men on St. Paul Road. During this altercation, Wesley Melton shot Nathan Reuben Street. When Emanuel County Sheriff's deputies and GBI agents arrived at the scene, Street was deceased. The investigation later revealed that Street had been at the Melton's home earlier in the night, an event that was captured on video. This prior incident had led the Emanuel County Sheriff's Office to secure arrest warrants for Street on charges of prowling and criminal trespass.
As of December 2022, no arrests had been made in connection with the shooting death of Nathan Reuben Street. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation stated that upon the completion of their investigation, the case would be turned over to the Middle Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for review. There have been no subsequent public announcements regarding any charges or legal proceedings against Wesley or Gregory Melton in this matter. The investigation into the circumstances of Street's death was described as active and ongoing.
