On November 29, 2025, authorities in Elbert County, Georgia, launched an investigation following a series of violent events that resulted in the death of 62-year-old male Refugio O. Torres. The incident began late that afternoon when the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a shooting near the 1500 block of Bowman Highway in Elberton. Upon arrival, deputies located a surviving male victim who had sustained gunshot wounds.
This individual identified the shooter as 31-year-old Moriah Lane Mills and informed law enforcement that she had fled the scene immediately after the altercation.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, initiated a search for Mills. While patrolling the area, a deputy discovered what appeared to be a single-vehicle traffic accident on Pulliam Mill Road in the nearby community of Dewy Rose. The deputy observed a woman, later confirmed to be Mills, standing in a grassy area adjacent to the roadway holding a firearm. Despite commands to drop the weapon, the suspect took her own life at the scene.
Subsequent inspection of the wrecked vehicle at the crash site led to the discovery of Refugio O. Torres, who was found deceased inside the car. The coroner determined that he had suffered a fatal gunshot wound prior to the crash. Investigators linked the two scenes, concluding that Mills had been involved in the shooting of the first victim before fatally shooting Torres and crashing the vehicle. With the death of the primary suspect, the case remains under investigation by the GBI and local authorities to determine the full motive and circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
