On the morning of June 19, 2026, police were called to a home on North Richmond Street in Milledgeville, Georgia, where they made a tragic discovery. Inside the residence, they found the bodies of 31-year-old Briuna Hartry and her 33-year-old boyfriend, Jajuan Taylor. The preliminary investigation quickly revealed the grim reality of what had occurred: a murder-suicide.
Investigators believe that sometime between the hours of midnight and 8 a.m., Taylor shot and killed Hartry, who was 33 weeks pregnant with their daughter, before turning the gun on himself. Hartry was found to have been shot multiple times. The discovery was made after Hartry, a woman described by her family as a joyful and goofy spirit who could light up any room, failed to show up for work that Friday morning.
The day before her death, Hartry's coworkers had thrown her a surprise baby shower, a celebration of the baby girl she was just weeks away from meeting. She was already a devoted mother to a young son and was reportedly thrilled to be expecting a daughter. Her family recalls her infectious laugh and her ability to find light in any situation, a woman who would give you the shirt off her back. They were left clutching a teddy bear containing a recording of the unborn baby's heartbeat, the only tangible memory of the child they were all eagerly awaiting.
In the wake of the tragedy, details emerged about Taylor's struggles with his mental health in the weeks leading up to the murder-suicide. His family described him as a gentle and nurturing person who adored children and pets, and they were shocked by his violent actions. They recounted his escalating paranoia and erratic behavior, and their repeated, but ultimately failed, attempts to get him help from hospitals and law enforcement. Two days before the shooting, Taylor had posted a prayer on Facebook, and the following day he appeared in a Facebook Live video from a hospital room, seemingly in the midst of a mental health crisis. Despite her own family's concerns for her safety, Hartry had reportedly stood by him, not wanting him to feel alone in his battle. The investigation into the deaths of Briuna Hartry and her unborn child is considered closed due to the death of the sole suspect, leaving both families to grapple with their immense loss and the unanswered questions left behind.
