In a tragic turn of events on a Tuesday evening in June 2018, the life of 24-year-old Brandon Trey Lively was cut short in Statesboro, Georgia. A white male who had spent most of his life in the nearby Portal area, Lively was a 2012 graduate of Portal High School and worked in the construction business. The father of a young daughter, he was shot multiple times and later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The shooting occurred around 9 p.m.
at the intersection of Burkhalter Road and Highway 80. An off-duty sheriff's deputy who was pumping gas nearby heard the gunshots and rushed to administer CPR to Lively before he was transported to East Georgia Regional Medical Center, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The incident prompted a temporary lockdown at the hospital, a standard procedure for gunshot victims.
Investigators quickly identified two individuals in connection with the fatal shooting. Jerry Thomas Pritchard, 26, of Brooklet, and Spencer Michelle Dutton, 26, of Statesboro, were taken into custody. The investigation revealed the shooting was the culmination of an ongoing domestic dispute involving Lively, Pritchard, and Dutton. It was reported that Lively and Dutton were dating at the time, and Pritchard was Dutton's ex-boyfriend.
Following the arrests, Jerry Thomas Pritchard faced multiple charges, including murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Spencer Michelle Dutton was charged with obstruction, making false statements and writings, and hindering the apprehension of a criminal. In September 2019, Pritchard entered into a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to a total of 30 years, which included 15 years in prison for the death of Brandon Lively, to be served consecutively with a sentence for unrelated charges. The original charges of malice murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery were not prosecuted as part of the plea deal.
