In the small town of Smithville, Georgia, a heartbreaking discovery was made on March 7, 2024, that would forever alter the community. Responding to a 911 call, officers from the Smithville Police Department arrived at an apartment in the 100 block of Wells Street. Inside, they found the bodies of 17-year-old Julianna Denise Thompson, a White female, and her 41-year-old mother, Jessica Lynn Hatcher Thompson. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to lead the inquiry into what was being treated as a double homicide.
Julianna, affectionately known as 'JuJu,' was a student at Lee County High School where she was a member of the softball team. Remembered for her lively personality and contagious laugh, she had recently passed her GED and had plans to attend Albany Tech in the summer with dreams of becoming a phlebotomist and eventually a school social worker. Her mother, Jessica, a graduate of Lee County High School, was a disabled mother of three who was known for her love of fishing and her dedication to her children. The news of their violent deaths sent shockwaves through their family and the close-knit community.
The investigation into the tragic deaths of mother and daughter led law enforcement to identify a suspect. On April 9, 2024, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of 28-year-old Marcus Dontavious Butts of Preston, Georgia. Butts was already in custody on unrelated charges since March 9, 2024. He was subsequently charged with a string of offenses in connection to the homicides, including Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Home Invasion, and firearm possession charges. Butts is currently being held in the Lee County Jail. Funeral services for Jessica and Julianna were held together on March 15, 2024, as their loved ones gathered to mourn their profound loss.
