In the midst of Fourth of July celebrations in 2021, a grim discovery was made behind a Motel 6 on Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins, Georgia. The lifeless body of 24-year-old Kristopher Ryan Mast, a white male, was found with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency services were called to the scene at 10:54 p.m. after a 911 call reported a man on the ground. Those who found him attempted CPR until officers and medical professionals arrived, but Mast was pronounced dead at Houston Healthcare.
The investigation into the shooting death of Kristopher Ryan Mast quickly led authorities to a suspect. Hours later, on July 5, 21-year-old John Bay Gollott of Centerville was taken into custody without incident and charged with Mast's murder. It was determined that Mast and his girlfriend were staying in a room adjacent to Gollott at the Motel 6, though the two men did not know each other prior to the incident. On the night of the shooting, Mast had an argument with his girlfriend and left their room. Gollott then followed Mast to a secluded area behind the motel and shot him three times with a. 22 caliber semi-automatic pistol, striking him in the neck, chest, and abdomen.
During the investigation, a firearm that matched the bullets and shell casings from the scene was found in Gollott's possession. Initially, Gollott claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging that Mast had tried to rob him. However, he later changed his statement, admitting that Mast had not attempted to rob him but had instead walked toward him as if he were about to start a fight.
After a three-day trial, a Houston County jury convicted John Bay Gollott of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault. Prosecutors argued that Gollott had provoked the dispute and that Mast had not posed a threat or touched him. Gollott was subsequently sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the murder of Kristopher Ryan Mast.
