In a quiet McDonough, Georgia home on a Sunday morning in April 2014, a violent scene unfolded that would leave a man dead and two others facing murder charges. Michael Raymond Patton, a 45-year-old male, was found deceased in his residence on Highland Drive from a fatal gunshot wound. The initial call to emergency services came in around 2 a.m., leading police to discover not only Patton's body but also a woman with a head wound.
The injured woman was identified as 44-year-old Tonia Lynn Gantt, who lived with Patton. Investigators quickly determined that the incident was not a simple home invasion but a planned robbery that had taken a deadly turn. It is believed that Gantt conspired with another individual, 49-year-old Joseph Franklin Norris, to rob Patton. During the commission of the robbery, gunfire erupted, and Patton was killed. Gantt's head injury was reportedly sustained during the altercation.
Following an investigation by law enforcement from both Henry and Butts counties, Tonia Lynn Gantt and Joseph Franklin Norris were arrested and charged with the murder of Michael Raymond Patton. Both were taken into custody and held at the Henry County jail. In addition to the murder charge, Gantt also faced a charge of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, adding another layer to the tragic and violent events that transpired in the McDonough home.
