In the early morning hours of Monday, January 27, 2025, a quiet apartment in the 300 block of South Zetterower Avenue in Statesboro, Georgia, became the scene of a grim discovery. Responding to a call at approximately 8:02 a.m., officers from the Statesboro Police Department entered the residence to find two individuals, both of whom had succumbed to apparent gunshot wounds.
The deceased were identified as 22-year-old Dacaris Carr, a male resident of Statesboro, and 17-year-old Maneia Stephens from Goodwater, Alabama.
Detectives spent the majority of the day meticulously processing the scene for evidence and interviewing people who knew the two individuals. Through their investigation, they were able to confirm that Carr and Stephens had a pre-existing relationship. As the investigation unfolded, law enforcement officials indicated that the evidence gathered at the scene suggested no other individuals were involved in the incident. The Statesboro Police Department announced that they were not searching for any outstanding suspects, leading to the conclusion that the deaths were the result of an isolated event within the apartment.
The bodies of both Dacaris Carr and Maneia Stephens were transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Coastal Regional Crime Lab for autopsies to make a final determination on the cause and manner of their deaths. While the official investigation is pending the results of the autopsies, the initial findings from the scene have led police to believe there is no ongoing threat to the community related to this tragic event.
Dacaris, known affectionately as 'Duke,' was born on May 20, 2002, in Heidelberg, Germany. He was educated in the Bulloch County School system, where he attended Statesboro High School. At the time of his death, he was employed as a machine operator for Perdue Farms. He was described by those who knew him as a quiet, shy, and exceptionally kind-hearted person who enjoyed listening to music, reading, and playing video games.
