On a tragic spring day in 1998, the quiet life of the Moss family in Jones County, Georgia, was shattered by a brutal act of violence that claimed the lives of 37-year-old Steven Moss, his 15-year-old daughter Kristin, and his 11-year-old son Bryan. The white male and his children were discovered in their Griswoldville home on April 23rd by his wife and the children's mother, Gerri Ann Moss, upon her return from work.
They had been fatally shot during a home burglary that took a horrific turn.
The perpetrators, 18-year-old Brandon Joseph Rhode and 19-year-old Daniel Anthony Lucas, had broken into the Moss residence earlier in the day, stealing several firearms. They returned later for more valuables, tragically crossing paths with the family. The first to arrive home was young Bryan, who was confronted by the intruders. Shortly after, Kristin returned from school and was also taken captive. When Steven Moss, the owner of a local trucking company, arrived home, he too was murdered. In a chilling confession, the killers admitted to shooting the family members multiple times to ensure there were no witnesses.
The investigation swiftly led to the apprehension of Rhode and Lucas. Eyewitnesses reported seeing their vehicle leaving the scene, and physical evidence tied them to the crime. In their possession were items stolen from the Moss home. The two young men, who were serial burglars, confessed to the triple homicide.
Both Brandon Joseph Rhode and Daniel Anthony Lucas were tried and convicted on multiple counts, including malice murder, felony murder, armed robbery, and burglary. In separate trials in 1999 and 2000, both men were sentenced to death for their heinous crimes. After years of appeals, the sentences were carried out. Brandon Joseph Rhode was executed by lethal injection on September 21, 2010. His accomplice, Daniel Anthony Lucas, met the same fate on April 27, 2016, bringing a final, somber chapter to a case that had deeply scarred the community of Jones County.
