James Eric Williamson, a 46-year-old White / Caucasian male from Collins, Georgia, was killed late on the night of February 26, 2023, inside a home on Lynntown Road. Authorities were first drawn into the case when the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at about 10:54 p.m. reporting that someone had been shot. Deputies responded to the residence and found Williamson dead inside the home from apparent gunshot wounds.
The case unfolded as a domestic dispute that turned fatal. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Williamson was reportedly shot by his stepson, Carson Colbert, during an argument. The shooting happened in the Collins area of Tattnall County, and the sheriff’s office requested assistance from the GBI the same night to investigate the death. Williamson’s body was sent for an autopsy through the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office.
Within two days, authorities announced an arrest. Carson Colbert, who was 19 at the time, was taken into custody and charged with murder in connection with Williamson’s death. Reports identified Colbert as Williamson’s stepson and described the incident as a shooting tied to a domestic dispute. After the arrest, investigators said additional charges were expected, though the early public reports focused on the murder charge.
Williamson’s obituary and memorial information describe him as Eric Williamson, born November 16, 1976, in Savannah, Georgia. He had lived in Montgomery County for many years before moving to Collins in 2015. He graduated from Montgomery County High School in 1995 and later worked as a conductor and engineer with Georgia Central Railroad for 19 years. Those details give a fuller picture of the man behind the case: a longtime Georgia resident whose life and work were rooted in the same region where he died.
The available online reporting does not show a publicly documented trial outcome or conviction for Carson Colbert in connection with Williamson’s death. The clearest confirmed case status from public reports is that Colbert was arrested and charged with murder after Williamson was found shot to death inside the Lynntown Road home and released on bond pending trial.
