GBI Investigates Deaths in Ware County

Waycross, GA (July 15, 2025) – At the request of the Ware County Sheriff’s Office, GBI agents are investigating the deaths of Joey Nelson, Jr., age 18, and Randall Martin III, age 19, both of Waycross, Georgia.

On Thursday, July 10, 2025, at about 10:15 p.m., deputies responded to a 911 call near Alton Circle in Waycross, GA, and found Nelson, Jr. and Martin III, dead next to a car. The two men had been fishing and had not returned home as expected. Family members found them and called 911.

The preliminary investigation indicates that Nelson and Martin were fishing when they were overtaken by a severe thunderstorm. As they were returning to their car, they were struck by lightning. The car also appeared to be struck by lightning.

The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office in Pooler, Georgia, will complete an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

The investigation is still active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at (912) 389-4103 or the Ware County Sheriff’s Office at (912) 287-4326. 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 Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.