It was a tragic end to a summer day in 2019 that shattered the quiet of a home on Highway 100 in Chattooga County, Georgia. On August 27th, 61-year-old Linda Mae Everett and her 35-year-old son, Joe Edward Brown, were found shot to death inside their residence. A third individual, 46-year-old Daryl Lee Marsh, was also discovered at the scene with life-threatening gunshot wounds. Marsh was rushed to a local hospital where he fought for his life for several weeks before succumbing to his injuries on September 19, 2019.
The investigation into the brutal triple shooting quickly identified a suspect: 38-year-old Steven James Mauldin of Bremen. Authorities revealed that Mauldin was an acquaintance of the victims and had been staying at their home for a few days prior to the killings. In the immediate aftermath of the shootings, Mauldin fled the scene, prompting a multi-state manhunt. He was believed to have stolen a 2003 Honda Civic and was reportedly sighted near Birmingham, Alabama. The search for Mauldin involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Chattooga County Sheriff's Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and authorities in Alabama.
Following an intense 36-hour search, Steven James Mauldin was apprehended in Coweta County, Georgia. His capture came after he was spotted by sheriff's deputies, leading to a brief chase. After his arrest, Mauldin was booked into the Chattooga County Jail and faced a string of charges, including two counts of murder/felony murder, theft by taking, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and aggravated assault. After Daryl Marsh's death, the charges against Mauldin were updated to reflect the third murder.
In August 2021, Steven James Mauldin pleaded guilty to the murders of Linda Mae Everett, Joe Edward Brown, and Daryl Lee Marsh. As a result of his guilty plea, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing a legal conclusion to a case that had shaken the northwest Georgia community.
