In the small community of Hazlehurst, Georgia, the life of 19-year-old Gary Allen 'Bubba' Ryals, Jr. was brought to a sudden and violent end on Monday, March 10, 2025. The young man, a male, was at the Circle K gas station located at 100 E. Jarman Street when a shooting occurred. Officers from the Hazlehurst Police Department were dispatched to the scene where they found Ryals suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a local hospital but was later pronounced dead.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was requested by the Hazlehurst Police Department to take the lead on the case. Ryals, who was born on December 20, 2005, was remembered as a concrete finisher who enjoyed bull riding and the outdoors. His greatest joy, however, was said to be spending time with his sons. His family described him as a kindhearted individual who did not deserve his tragic fate. He was a father of two with another child expected with his fiancé.
The investigation into Ryals' death led to an arrest approximately two weeks later. On March 26, 2025, Ronald Dykes, age 21, also of Hazlehurst, was taken into custody. Dykes was charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection to the death of Gary Ryals. Under Georgia law, a charge of voluntary manslaughter suggests the killing may have occurred in a moment of 'sudden, violent, and irresistible passion resulting from serious provocation.'
Following his arrest, Ronald Dykes was booked into the Jeff Davis County jail. The GBI has stated that their investigation is active and ongoing. Once their investigation is complete, the case will be handed over to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit for prosecution. The family of Gary Ryals, while heartbroken, expressed that the arrest was a first step towards justice for their loved one.
