In the spring of 2015, a sense of unease settled over a Savannah neighborhood as a tragic event unfolded. On the evening of April 13th, the sound of gunshots pierced the night, leading police to a home in the 1200 block of N.E. 36th Street. Inside, they discovered a grim scene: three men, all victims of fatal gunshot wounds. One of these men was Anderson Mells, a 52-year-old male. Alongside him were 30-year-old Gary Mells and 37-year-old Johnny Green. The initial investigation saw two individuals detained shortly after the incident, but they were subsequently released after questioning, leaving the case without any immediate resolution.
For years, the case of the triple homicide remained unsolved, a cold case that offered no new leads or answers for the families of the victims. The passage of time did little to diminish the gravity of the crime, and the community was left to wonder if justice would ever be served. Investigators had explored various avenues, with reports suggesting they were looking into whether risky activities at the residence were connected to the targeted shootings. Despite their efforts, the investigation stalled, and a period of silence descended upon the case.
Then, in August of 2021, a breakthrough finally came. After reopening the case and uncovering new leads, the Savannah Police Department announced the arrests of three suspects. The Major Crimes Unit's renewed focus on the six-year-old homicide led to a Chatham County grand jury indicting Stanley Hall, then 38, John Baker, 29, and Jerrell Williams, 39, on charges of felony murder and malice murder. The arrests were not without incident; one of the suspects, Stanley Hall, had to be taken into custody by a SWAT team after he barricaded himself inside a residence. The apprehension of the three men marked a significant turning point in the long-dormant investigation, bringing a renewed sense of hope that the full story of what happened that April night would finally be brought to light.
