On the evening of October 13, 2017, Javis Walker, a 31-year-old African American man, tragically lost his life in an act of selfless courage. He was inside a Dollar General store on East Oglethorpe Boulevard in Albany, Georgia, when an armed robbery unfolded. Without hesitation, Walker attempted to intervene to protect the store's cashier from the assailant. During this heroic act, he was fatally shot. His bravery was immediately recognized by law enforcement and his family, who, while devastated by their loss, were not surprised by his protective instincts.
The Albany Police Department launched an intensive investigation into the homicide. In the days following the shooting, investigators identified three persons of interest they wished to question. The investigation quickly gained momentum, leading to a significant breakthrough with the apprehension of one of the individuals, 22-year-old Cohen Scott Mathews. He was taken into custody in neighboring Lee County and subsequently charged with murder and aggravated assault. Shortly after, a second man, 28-year-old Shanorris Taylor, was arrested at his home and charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. Both men were booked into the Dougherty County Jail.
The police had also sought two women as persons of interest. One, Lisa Marie Grigg, spoke with investigators and was later charged by Lee County officials with hindering the apprehension of a criminal. The other woman was identified as Heather Nicole Jeffcoat. The case against the two primary suspects, Mathews and Taylor, moved forward, with the prosecution announcing intentions to seek the death penalty. As of late 2020, their trials were among a significant backlog of murder cases in Dougherty County, a delay largely attributed to the global pandemic, but remained pending.
