GUILTY GA - Hannah Bender, 21, found deceased, Lumpkin County, 14 Sept 2019 *ARRESTS*

[beatrixpotter]

Last I saw he was still on the run. And since the other man was found locally I wonder if he's also still in this area.

 

[indicolite22]

Still after Austin too or do they have their man?

Harper's warrant was for “concealment of a dead body” and “tampering with evidence”. No word on the actual charges yet. Stryker is wanted for murder.

Person of interest arrested in Bender investigation

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

Man accused of killing and burying woman in shallow grave turns himself in
This is good news.

 

[beatrixpotter]

Austin sure has a lot of stupid friends and family. FOUR people arrested for things like helping to conceal a body? What kind of idiots think it's a good idea to help a friend once they learn he killed someone? I can potentially imagine going along with someone I discover is a murder until I can get out of their presence and contact the police and let them know what they did. But just aiding and abetting? I guess I don't have friends I'd help cover up a murder for.

 

[indicolite22]

Sixth person arrested in connection with death of Dahlonega woman

 

[BlackCloud]

Austin sure has a lot of stupid friends and family. FOUR people arrested for things like helping to conceal a body? What kind of idiots think it's a good idea to help a friend once they learn he killed someone? I can potentially imagine going along with someone I discover is a murder until I can get out of their presence and contact the police and let them know what they did. But just aiding and abetting? I guess I don't have friends I'd help cover up a murder for.

I agree. It's unbelievable.
Two chances:
#1 his friends are a bunch of morons
#2 his friends have some kind of criminal behaviour
My friends wouldn't do something like that for me (and they were absolutely right...)

 

[NervousNellie]

Austin sure has a lot of stupid friends and family. FOUR people arrested for things like helping to conceal a body? What kind of idiots think it's a good idea to help a friend once they learn he killed someone? I can potentially imagine going along with someone I discover is a murder until I can get out of their presence and contact the police and let them know what they did. But just aiding and abetting? I guess I don't have friends I'd help cover up a murder for.

Agree 100%. What a group of idiots. I mean, we see so many cases where no evidence is ever fond (that we know of, anyway), and these morons not only involved six people, but left evidence pointing to them. Jeeze.

 

[oviedo]

Sixth person arrested in connection with death of Dahlonega woman

wow - so many people involved.. JMO

 

[RDW]

Sounds like he has been nabbed.
They got him! Murder suspect Austin Stryker arrested in Pittsburgh - Lumpkin

Austin Stryker, suspect in Hannah Bender murder, turns himself in

 

[YESorNO]

Murder suspect Austin Todd Stryker to be extradited to Georgia

October 8, 2019

"DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Austin Todd Stryker, the primary suspect in the murder of 21-year-old Hannah Bender waived extradition Friday. He is expected to be returned to Lumpkin County in the next two to three weeks....

Five others believed to have some knowledge of the death remain in jail. Stryker’s fiancée 21-year-old Elizabeth Brooke Donaldson is charged with tampering with evidence. Isaac Huff, 18, and Dylan Patrick Reid, 19, are charged with concealing the death of another. Jerry Harper, 78. He is charged with concealment of a body and tampering with evidence. Lumpkin County has charged Bailey Williams, 21, with felony tampering with evidence in the case...."

Murder suspect Austin Todd Stryker to be extradited to Georgia - Lumpkin

 

[NervousNellie]

Have I missed reports of how the victim and her killer are connected, or if they are connected somehow? Or possible motive? They are both so young.

 

[Rhenish]

Have I missed reports of how the victim and her killer are connected, or if they are connected somehow? Or possible motive? They are both so young.

Per the article below, it appears that they did know each other and unclear as to motive other than at this point it sounds like it was random.

6th Suspect Arrested in Connection With Georgia Woman's Mysterious Death at Campsite

 

[YESorNO]

Murder suspect extradited from Pittsburgh

October 16, 2019

"Austin Todd Stryker was expected to return to Lumpkin County on Tuesday for the first time since he allegedly fled the state following the murder of 21-year-old Dahlonega resident Hannah Bender, according to officials.

“It’s expected sometime today,” said Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy Jarrard....

A transport company had been hired to return the suspect to Lumpkin County. However, he might not stay within the county for long, said Jarrard.

Since the case, which is currently being handled by the GBI, spans multiple counties, Stryker may be housed in another facility.
“It will be determined by the District Attorney where he will stay,” said Jarrard.

Stryker’s arrival was not expected until after press-time.

Five other suspects have been charged in an apparent attempt to conceal the murder of Bender...."

Murder suspect extradited from Pittsburgh | The Dahlonega Nugget, Dahlonega, GA

 

[PajamaSleuth]

I am so sorry for HB’s lived ones. Such a beautiful young woman with a life full of promise ahead of her. May she Rest In Peace.

Wild guess, without reading anything but the few posts here — my guess is that Hannah had a relationship with Stryker (perhaps unbeknownst to her,) he was in a “committed” relationship. His SO became jealous and wanted him to “prove” he didn’t care for her (the victim).

I have no idea how or why the others got involved. And I could totally be wrong in everything. This is just a random theory.

 

[Dhighsmith]

After presenting to Grand Jury in December 2019, four men were indicted, three for murder and all four indicted under a gang act that I’m not familiar with. I’m amazed at how many were connected to her brutal murder.

 

[Dre]

Wow I’m pretty surprised at the short length of this thread- what a crazy story! Humans are so disgusting sometimes!! I hope that her family feels some relief in the partial justice.. so incredibly sad.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Georgia Jury Trials To Restart After Pandemic Slowed Right To Speedy Trial

Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton said he’s planning to lift a year-long restriction Tuesday to allow jury trials to resume that have been on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Tentative trial date set for 2 men in case of Hannah Bender’s kidnapping and murder

A tentative trial date of Nov. 1 has been set for the two north Georgia men at the center of a brutal murder case.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Trial set to begin in slaying of Hannah Bender

Two defendants will stand trial beginning Nov. 1 in the shooting-and-stabbing death of 21-year-old Lumpkin County resident Hannah Bender.

The two co-defendants are Austin Todd Stryker, 24, of Dawson County and Jerry Harper, 79, of Forsyth County.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Mistrial possibility looms after 3 jurors dismissed in Stryker murder trial

The possibility of a mistrial looms after three jurors were excused Thursday in the trial of a man accused of killing a 21-year-old Lumpkin County woman.

If another juror is excused in the trial of Austin Todd Stryker, Northeastern Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Kathlene Gosselin would be forced to declare a mistrial since there are now no alternates left in the 12-member pool.

One juror told the court they had tested positive for COVID-19, while two others were also dismissed for vaccination status. The trial is expected to end late next week.

News of the dismissed jurors came on the third day of Stryker's trial.