In the early morning hours of November 3, 2020, the quiet of a Kingsland, Georgia neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Inside his home on Forest Ridge Drive, 34-year-old Ernest Zack Ruffell, a white male, was found by responding officers suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical aid was rendered at the scene before he was rushed to Southeast Georgia Health System in St.
Marys, but tragically, he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The Kingsland Police Department, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, immediately launched a homicide investigation. In the initial stages, authorities had no suspects and appealed to the public for any information that might lead to an arrest. The investigation painted a picture of Ruffell as a cherished member of the community, a father to his daughters, and a beloved son and brother. Known for his love of fishing and football, his sudden and violent death left a significant void in the lives of his family and friends.
A significant breakthrough in the case came on November 30, 2020, when the GBI announced the arrests of two individuals. Daniel Berdan Miller, 43, and Ashanti Va'Keisha Hollerman, a 17-year-old female, both from the nearby town of Woodbine, were taken into custody. Miller had been incarcerated on unrelated charges since November 4, while U.S. Marshals apprehended Hollerman on November 18. Both were charged with murder and aggravated assault in connection with Ruffell's death and were held in the Camden County jail. The investigation, which involved the cooperative efforts of the Camden County Sheriff’s Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, continued to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting.
