In the early morning hours of October 17, 2024, the quiet of a Blackshear, Georgia neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire. 34-year-old Kimberly Guess, a mother and cabinet maker, was leaving her home on Ware Street to head to her job at Clayton Homes. As she walked to her car, she was ambushed and shot multiple times in her front yard. One of her daughters, 11-year-old Bailey Warren, heard the gunshots and her mother's cries for help, and tragically witnessed the aftermath of the attack. It was Bailey who bravely made the 911 call.
The Blackshear community was shaken by the violent act, which was the first murder in the town in over five years. Kimberly's family, devastated by their loss, described her as a woman with a 'heart of gold' who was loved by everyone who knew her. In the weeks that followed, as the investigation continued with no arrests, the family pleaded for justice and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the person or persons responsible. They believed the attack was planned, stating that Kimberly was caught by surprise. Her mother, Shirley Lee, revealed that Kimberly had been stalked for weeks by her former supervisor at Clayton Homes, with whom she had been romantically involved. Kimberly had ended the relationship and had asked him to leave her alone just days before her death.
In December 2024, a significant breakthrough came in the case. The Blackshear Police Department announced the arrests of a father and son from Waycross: 53-year-old Tracy Lee Bryant Sr. and 30-year-old Tracy Lee Bryant Jr. The two men were already in custody at the Ware County Jail on drug charges that arose during the murder investigation. Warrants alleged that Tracy Bryant Sr. was the one who shot Kimberly multiple times, while his son, Tracy Bryant Jr., intentionally aided and abetted his father in carrying out the murder. The family expressed their relief that the suspects were off the streets, though it did little to ease the pain of their loss.
Following their arrests, both Tracy Bryant Sr. and Tracy Lee Bryant Jr. were charged with malice murder and felony murder. In February 2025, a Pierce County Grand Jury indicted both men on these charges, as well as aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Tracy Bryant Jr. faced an additional indictment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The indictment formally accused Tracy Bryant Sr. of shooting Kimberly and his son of assisting in the crime.
