In the late morning of Sunday, April 14, 2024, the quiet of Homerville, Georgia, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Responding to a 911 call at approximately 11:50 a.m., officers from the Homerville Police Department arrived at a scene near Happyville Lane and Old Fargo Road to find 25-year-old Raheem Poole, a male, lying deceased from apparent gunshot wounds in his own front yard.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was subsequently called in to lead the homicide investigation.
The investigation into Poole's death quickly led to the identification of several individuals. Initially, authorities arrested 33-year-old Phillip White of Homerville, charging him with aggravated assault in an incident that reportedly occurred prior to the fatal shooting. The focus then turned to 19-year-old Shea Foster, also from Homerville, for whom arrest warrants were issued on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault. After a period of being at large, during which he was thought to be in either Homerville or Jacksonville, Florida, Foster turned himself in to the Clinch County Sheriff's Office on Monday, April 22, 2024.
The case saw further developments on April 23, 2024, with the arrests of two more Homerville residents, 34-year-old Roma Cooper and 35-year-old Lenard Perkins. Cooper, who is reportedly the victim's sister, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and making false statements. Perkins faced the same charges, with an additional charge of tampering with evidence. These arrests were made with the assistance of both the Homerville Police Department and the Clinch County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Once completed, the case file will be turned over to the Alapaha Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for prosecution. The series of arrests brought a measure of progress to a case that has deeply affected the community and the family of Raheem Poole, who was described in his obituary as a devoted son, brother, and friend with a passion for music.
