In the quiet, early morning hours of August 18, 2018, in Ellaville, Georgia, the life of 46-year-old Bryce Richard Mason was tragically cut short. A 911 call reporting a shooting on Minter Road was received by the Schley County Sheriff's Office at approximately 12:48 a.m. a male, he was found by first responders at the scene with critical injuries.
Emergency medical services transported Mason to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, but despite their efforts, he succumbed to his injuries later
that same day. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was brought in to conduct an autopsy to officially determine the cause of death. The investigation into the shooting quickly developed, leading authorities to a suspect.
A week after the fatal shooting, on August 24, 2018, an arrest was made in connection with Bryce Mason's death. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Schley County Sheriff's Office took 58-year-old Vidal Ybarra of Ellaville into custody. Ybarra was subsequently charged with murder and aggravated assault. While the motive for the shooting was not immediately released, the investigation remained active as authorities continued to piece together the events that led to the deadly encounter.
Bryce Mason, originally from Big Island, Hawaii, was a data software engineer at PharmaCentra in Americus, Georgia. He was remembered as a man who cherished the outdoors and held a deep love for the ocean, where he enjoyed activities like swimming, scuba diving, and paddleboarding. He was a husband and a father to five children. A celebration of his life was held on August 30, 2018, at the Hopewell United Methodist Church in Ellaville.
