Local DJ shot to death outside of a radio station
In the late hours of January 20, 2012, the life of Stephon Edgerton, a 40-year-old Army veteran and popular radio DJ in Valdosta, Georgia, was tragically cut short. Known on the airwaves of WGOV as 'DJ Juan Gatti,' Edgerton was a beloved figure in his community, a devoted husband to his wife, Hilda, and a father to their three children. His evening shift at the radio station, a routine he knew well, ended in a violent ambush that left a family shattered and a community in search of answers.
Just before midnight, as he was leaving the station located off Highway 84, Edgerton was shot three times by an assailant who had apparently been lying in wait in the darkness surrounding the building. Despite suffering wounds to his torso and head, Edgerton managed to make a desperate 911 call at 11:53 p.m. In his final moments, he provided a crucial piece of information to the dispatcher: his attacker was a white male wearing a white skull cap or a ski mask. He was rushed to the South Georgia Medical Center, but succumbed to his injuries about an hour later.
The investigation into Stephon Edgerton’s murder has been a long and frustrating one for both his family and law enforcement. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office found evidence that a car had been parked near the scene and had driven away eastward onto Highway 84. Despite an extensive investigation that included numerous interviews, a clear motive for the killing has never been established. Edgerton was not robbed, and no altercation was known to have occurred. Years after the shooting, the case remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made.
Over the years, some information about a potential suspect has come to light. The local sheriff indicated that a person he considered a prime suspect in Edgerton's murder was killed in a shootout a couple of years after the incident. However, this development did not lead to a resolution of the case. Stephon Edgerton's family continues to seek closure, remembering him as a vibrant personality and a loving family man who was senselessly taken from them.
