CILLA - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Ocilla Police Department have charged an Ocilla man with the March 11, 2005 murder of Reggie O’Neal, then age 20, during a shooting incident at the Nautica Hot Spot Game Room in Ocilla. Anthony Perez Thomas, age 28, was charged with Murder, and two counts each of Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Crime, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Thomas was served with the warrants today at the Coffee County jail where he had been detained for unrelated offenses. He remains incarcerated there and no bond has been set on new charges.

Thomas’ arrest followed several months of intensive investigation by GBI agents and Ocilla Police after new information was developed on the five year-old case. Thomas had long been suspected of the committing the O’Neal murder and is alleged to have barged into the game room with a pistol, shooting O’Neal and another man, who survived. Thomas entered the Georgia prison system shortly after the incident following a probation revocation and was released in September of last year.

# # # #

Contact Information:

GBI SAC Gary Rothwell - 478-987-4545;Ocilla Police Chief Billy Hancock 229-468-7494

Related Files