In the late afternoon of Saturday, June 27, 2026, the life of 46-year-old Donna Fuller was tragically cut short in an act of domestic violence that unfolded outside her workplace on South Lee Street in Valdosta, Georgia. A woman who had recently gone through a divorce, Donna was attempting to move forward with her life. That day, however, her ex-husband, 56-year-old Benjamin Fuller, drove from his home in Moultrie to Valdosta and was seen circling her place of employment. Donna went outside to confront him, a decision that would have devastating consequences.
The confrontation escalated quickly and violently. According to eyewitnesses, Benjamin Fuller shot his ex-wife multiple times before turning the gun on himself. When Valdosta police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel arrived at the scene, they found Donna with multiple gunshot wounds and Benjamin deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. First responders rendered aid to Donna, and she was rushed to South Georgia Medical Center. Despite their efforts, she succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
The investigation by Valdosta Police Department detectives and crime scene technicians confirmed the incident was a murder-suicide stemming from domestic violence. Because the perpetrator, Benjamin Fuller, took his own life at the scene, there were no arrests to be made in Donna's death. The case concluded with the deaths of both individuals, leaving behind a community to mourn the loss and grapple with the irreversible consequences of domestic turmoil. Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan expressed heartbreak for the families affected by the tragedy, emphasizing the devastating impact of such senseless violence.
