In the summer of 1992, in Newton County, Georgia, the life of 70-year-old John Watson was brought to a brutal and tragic end. On the morning of Monday, June 22, Mr. Watson was found deceased outside of his home on Highway 142 in Covington. The grim discovery was made by police and neighbors after they were summoned to the residence by Barbara Terrell, who had been assisting Mr. Watson with meals and errands and had recently become engaged to him.
The investigation into his death would uncover a story of betrayal and violence.
An autopsy would later reveal that Mr. Watson had been shot four times and had also suffered significant blunt force trauma to his face and head. The severity of the beating was such that bone had penetrated his brain. The evidence at the scene suggested a violent struggle. It appeared that the perpetrator had hidden and waited for Mr. Watson to leave for his dialysis appointment before launching the attack. Initial shots struck the driveway, with one ricocheting and hitting Mr. Watson in the thigh. Despite being wounded, he was overtaken by his attacker, who then shot him three more times before dragging his body to a more secluded area of the property.
The investigation soon focused on Brian Keith Terrell, the son of Mr. Watson's fiancée. It was discovered that Terrell had stolen ten checks from the victim and had begun to use them. After Mr. Watson became aware of the theft, he had spoken with Terrell's mother and agreed not to involve the police if Terrell returned a significant portion of the stolen money by the following morning. Instead of repayment, Terrell chose to silence Mr. Watson.
Brian Keith Terrell was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of John Watson. Following a trial, he was convicted of the crime. The legal proceedings concluded with Terrell being sentenced to death for the murder. After his appeals were exhausted, an execution was scheduled for March of 2015. The case against Terrell was largely built on his connection to the victim through his mother and the financial motive stemming from the stolen checks. In the aftermath of the murder, Terrell reportedly took his son to the zoo, where he disposed of the murder weapon.
