On a May evening in 2018, Paul David Archer, a 57-year-old male from Cartersville, Georgia, was fatally shot at a residence on Franklin Drive. The incident, which occurred on May 17, also resulted in the injury of another man at the scene. When sheriff's deputies and emergency personnel arrived, they found Archer deceased outside the home. The second victim had fled but was located shortly after and transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Within hours of the shooting, investigators from the Bartow County Sheriff's Office apprehended a suspect in neighboring Floyd County. The individual taken into custody was 27-year-old Justin Lee Wade of Rome, Georgia. It was later revealed that Wade was the nephew of the man who had been injured in the shooting. Archer was reportedly a neighbor and was visiting the other victim at the time the events unfolded.
Following his arrest, Justin Lee Wade was booked into the Bartow County Jail. He was formally charged with one count of murder for the death of Paul David Archer and one count of aggravated assault in connection with the injury to his uncle. The motive for the shooting was not immediately released as the investigation remained active. Subsequent inmate records indicate that Wade was a state-sentenced prisoner with a release date in May 2021, suggesting a conviction and a prison sentence were ultimately rendered in the case.
