In the early hours of February 15, 2022, the day after Valentine's Day, 30-year-old Latoria Waller was found shot in the Milledgeville, Georgia, home she shared with her boyfriend, Johnny Chapple. Responders arrived at the Towns Street residence around 2:46 a.m. to find Waller in a bedroom, still fighting for her life. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but ultimately succumbed to a single gunshot wound to the heart.
Initially, there was confusion surrounding the circumstances of
Waller's death, with the first 911 call reporting a possible overdose. However, upon her arrival at the hospital, medical personnel discovered the bullet wound, shifting the investigation to a homicide. Suspicion quickly fell upon her longtime boyfriend, Johnny Chapple. Investigators learned that the couple had hosted a Valentine's Day party at their home the night before.
Chapple was soon arrested and charged with Waller's murder. During the subsequent trial, the prosecution presented evidence showing that Chapple shot and killed Waller. Chapple's defense argued that Waller had taken her own life. A central issue in the trial became the location of the 9mm pistol used in the shooting, which was found in a dresser drawer across the bedroom from where Waller's body was discovered.
In April 2023, a Baldwin County jury convicted Johnny Chapple on multiple charges, including two counts of felony murder and aggravated assault. He was found not guilty of malice murder. The judge sentenced Chapple to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional ten years to be served consecutively. In February 2026, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld Chapple's conviction after he appealed, arguing that his attorney had been ineffective and that certain evidence should have been excluded from the trial. Chapple is currently incarcerated at Ware State Prison.
