UPDATE - 7/15/24:

On Friday July 12, 2024, the GBI arrested and charged William Austin, age 31, of Jefferson, GA, with Felony Murder, Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Tampering with Evidence in connection to the homicide of Antowne Lay.

Austin was booked into the Jackson County Jail.

ORIGINAL RELEASE:

Jackson County, Nicholson, GA (July 12, 2024) - At the request of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, GBI agents are investigating the death of Antowne Shalmar Lay, age 29, of Athens, GA.

Lay was found near the intersection of Antioch Church Road and Gus Barnett Road, in Nicholson, GA.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at 706-367-8718 or the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Athens, GA at 706-552-2309. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Piedmont Judicial Circuit for prosecution.

Contact

Director, Office of Public & Governmental Affairs Nelly Miles

[email protected]

Related Files

  • Jackson County  (IMG, 338.97 KB)
    GBI Crime Scene Specialists assessing the scene
  • Jackson County 2 (IMG, 1.35 MB)
    Law Enforcement vehicles parked on the side of the road where the discovery took place