In the quiet town of Milledgeville, Georgia, the life of 38-year-old John Shane McAfee, a U.S. Army veteran, was cut short on the evening of October 3, 2020. As he returned to his home from his job at Tractor Supply Company, he was fatally shot in his driveway. Inside the house, his girlfriend, Wendy Pence, was preparing dinner when she heard the sound of his truck followed by the terrifying ring of gunshots. McAfee's last words were a desperate plea to her: 'Baby, baby, call 911, call 911.'
The investigation into the murder quickly focused on Ray Eugene Pollard, Pence's ex-boyfriend of nine years. The separation had been acrimonious, and in the days leading up to the shooting, Pollard had sent a series of threatening Facebook messages regarding McAfee. In one chilling message, he wrote, “I'm about ready to kill his a**,” and just five days before the murder, he stated, “I know but I want her back he doesn't deserve her I do and if I have to I will go kill him.” The night their relationship ended, Pence had gone to McAfee’s home. The following morning, an enraged Pollard appeared at McAfee's front door, screaming and honking his horn, demanding to see her. He was warned by police to never return.
On the night of the murder, evidence suggested that Pollard had driven from his home in Acworth to Milledgeville with the intent to confront McAfee. Although Pollard denied killing McAfee, prosecutors presented a compelling case. Parts of his vehicle were found at the scene after he crashed through a fence while fleeing. Pollard was arrested in Bartow County and charged with McAfee's murder.
The case proceeded to trial, and in December 2021, a jury found Ray Eugene Pollard guilty of the murder of John Shane McAfee. Seeking to overturn the verdict, Pollard later appealed his conviction, arguing that his trial attorney had been ineffective. However, on May 28, 2025, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the murder conviction, ensuring that Pollard would remain accountable for his actions.
