In the summer of 2020, a welfare check at a Griffin, Georgia, apartment led to the tragic discovery of two individuals. On the afternoon of July 18th, officers from the Griffin Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Grandview Drive to check on the well-being of its occupants. After being unable to make contact, they entered the apartment through an unlocked rear door. Inside, in an upstairs bedroom, they found the bodies of 35-year-old Ashley Smith of Peachtree City and 36-year-old Darcell Goggins of Griffin.
Following an investigation that included interviews with family, friends, and neighbors, authorities determined the incident to be a murder-suicide. Investigators believe that Goggins shot and killed Smith before taking his own life. Evidence collected at the scene was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab for further analysis to aid in the investigation. The case did not involve any other suspects, and no arrests were made as the perpetrator was deceased. The investigation concluded that this was a contained incident with no ongoing threat to the public.
