On a tragic day in August of 1992, the life of Jerry Self, a 34-year-old white male, was abruptly cut short in Floyd County, Georgia. On August 21st, upon returning to his residence, Self noticed an unfamiliar light brown Oldsmobile Cutlass parked in his carport. Sensing something was wrong, he prudently used his cellular phone to alert the police about the suspicious vehicle. While awaiting the arrival of law enforcement, he was confronted by the man who was in the process of burglarizing his home.
The intruder, identified as 21-year-old Gary Chad Thomason, a white male, shot Jerry Self while he was still inside his truck in the driveway of his own home. The police arrived on the scene shortly after the shooting and were able to apprehend Thomason on the same day. The motive for the crime was determined to be a robbery that was interrupted by Self's unexpected return.
Gary Chad Thomason was subsequently charged with malice murder, burglary, and possession of a firearm by a felon during the commission of a burglary. In a legal strategy, Thomason's defense attorney had him plead guilty and waive his right to a jury trial, placing his fate in the hands of the presiding judge. In October of 1996, the court found that the murder was committed during the commission of a burglary with the intent of stealing money and other valuables.
Consequently, Gary Chad Thomason was sentenced to death for the murder of Jerry Self. Thomason's legal team filed appeals, but the Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed his conviction and sentence in July of 1997. The court upheld the legality of the searches and seizures that produced evidence in the case and deemed the eyewitness identifications of Thomason fleeing the scene to be reliable. The swift arrest and conviction of Thomason brought a measure of legal closure to the senseless and violent end of Jerry Self's life.
