In the early morning hours of June 24, 2018, the life of Ronald Morris Bentley, a 40-year-old male from Cedartown, Georgia, was tragically cut short. Responding to a 5:15 a.m. 911 call reporting shots fired, Cedartown police discovered Bentley's body lying in the intersection of East Gibson and Park streets. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into Bentley's death was a collaborative effort between the Cedartown Police Department
and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Their work led to the identification of two suspects. The first, 30-year-old Laryan Yance Walker of Cedartown, was arrested on June 28, 2018. Initially charged with murder, Walker later faced a string of additional charges, including felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Further investigation implicated a second individual, 26-year-old Tashon Brown, also from Cedartown. Brown was already in custody in neighboring Floyd County on unrelated charges when he was linked to Bentley's death. He was subsequently charged with being a party to the crimes of murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault. Additionally, Brown faced charges of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, hindering the apprehension of a criminal, and tampering with evidence. Following their arrests, Walker was held in the Polk County Jail, while Brown remained in custody at the Floyd County Jail.
