In the early morning hours of what was supposed to be the first day of his murder trial, 34-year-old Jamey Lynn Wolford was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Cairo, Georgia. The discovery on Monday, December 12, 2016, brought a sudden and tragic end to a legal case that was set to unfold in a Thomas County courtroom. Wolford, a male resident of Cairo, was facing serious charges, including felony murder, aggravated assault, and voluntary manslaughter.
The chain of events leading to this grim conclusion began in April 2015, at the Azalea Mobile Home Park in Thomasville. An argument between Wolford and 31-year-old James Eric Poppell on the front steps of a residence escalated with fatal consequences. Wolford admitted to authorities that he shot Poppell with a. 40-caliber handgun after Poppell, who was unarmed, allegedly charged at him. The altercation reportedly centered around Poppell's ex-wife and their children, who lived at the home where the shooting occurred. Poppell was pronounced dead at the scene. Following an investigation, a Thomas County Grand Jury indicted Wolford, and he was arrested. He was later released on a $200,000 bond pending trial.
Jury selection for Wolford's trial was scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on that Monday morning. However, court officials were soon notified of a death in nearby Grady County. A family member had discovered Wolford's body behind a structure at his residence on Rich Road. The Grady County Sheriff's Office was alerted to the death at 9:45 a.m., just as legal proceedings against him were set to commence. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to the scene to investigate, and an autopsy was ordered. While authorities initially stated the death appeared to be a suicide, the final determination was pending the results of the autopsy.
Jamey Lynn Wolford, born on May 22, 1982, in Thomasville, Georgia, worked in the construction industry. His funeral services were held on Friday, December 16, 2016, at the Chapel of Clark Funeral Home in Cairo, followed by a private interment at Greenwood Cemetery. His death left behind a wife, parents, and siblings. The tragic turn of events preempted any legal conclusion to the charges he faced, leaving two families to grapple with the devastating outcomes of that fateful day in April 2015.
