On the evening of January 31, 2019, the life of 41-year-old Sarah Kay Akridge, a Caucasian female from Swainsboro, Georgia, was tragically cut short. Authorities in Emanuel County responded to a report of shots fired in the Dellwood community and discovered Akridge deceased in her vehicle, which was slightly off the roadway. An investigation into her death quickly commenced, led by the Emanuel County Sheriff's Office with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation revealed that the incident was domestic in nature. A suspect was soon identified as Tommy Lee Givens, a 46-year-old man from Swainsboro with whom Akridge had been in a previous relationship. A lookout was issued for Givens' vehicle, and he was apprehended later that same evening during a traffic stop in Swainsboro. Givens was taken into custody without incident and subsequently charged with multiple offenses related to Akridge's death. He was held in the Emanuel County Jail without bond.
Sarah Kay Akridge was born on June 23, 1977, in Metter, Georgia, and was a lifelong resident of the Swainsboro area. For the ten years preceding her death, she had been the manager of a local Dollar Tree. She was a mother to three daughters: Samantha Hadden, Abigail Page, and Natalie Akridge. Akridge was remembered by those who knew her as a vibrant and caring individual with a warm personality, who loved Christmas, watching the Patriots play, and wrestling. Her funeral service was held on February 6, 2019, at the Chapel of Chapman Funeral Home, followed by her burial at Stillmore City Cemetery.
