GUILTY GA - Gloria, 54, & Caleb Short, 17, Gianna Lindsey, 10, slain, Upatoi, 4 Jan 2016

[Backwoods]

I did a quick search to see if this had been brought to WS but didn't see anything. Could have missed it, though.

I just learned about this myself. It happened Monday, apparently. It's awful. Gloria Short, 56, her son Caleb Short Jr., 17, and her granddaughter Gianna Lindsey, 10, dead from blunt force trauma in Short's home.

The first link starts with updates and you can scroll on down through earlier updates and on to Monday's report, so I guess it's fairly comprehensive. First section I quoted sure sounds kind of cryptic to me:

Update: Counseling offered at Shaw, where victim attended school

Update 10:47 a.m.: Columbus Police Maj. Gil Slouchick said Thursday morning that investigators may finish processing the crime scene at the 3057 Bentley Drive house today. There are no suspects in custody at this time, he added.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said the doctor assisting with the autopsies will meet with one or more other medical examiners to discuss the findings. He said the results will be available after those officials have determined "how they want to sign it out."

"It was a difficult case, and evidently this doctor doesn't want to make the decision on his own," Bryan said. "The three of them will get together, or how ever many, have the meeting and make that decision."...

Here is Monday's report:
Locals were left shocked and bewildered Monday by news a grandmother, her son and granddaughter were found beaten to death in their home off McKee Road in north Columbus.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan identified the dead as Gloria Short, son Caleb Short and granddaughter Gianna Lindsey. Those who knew them said Gloria was in her 50s, Caleb was 17, and Gianna was 10.

Gloria’s husband Robert Short reportedly found the bodies in the Shorts’ 5037 Bentley Drive home after an “apparent break-in.” Each died from “blunt-force trauma,” Bryan said.
“It’s a brutal death,” Bryan said. “It’s a horrible situation. It’s out of the ordinary for us to run across a triple homicide like this.”

He pronounced them dead about 9:20 a.m. Robert called 911 around 8:30 a.m., authorities said.

Robert reportedly found the home’s garage door open and two vehicles missing, which police described as a silver 2014 Volkswagen Beetle with Georgia tag PLB 6099 and a green GMC Envoy with Georgia tag TMR 654. Officers found both automobiles later Monday....

​

much more at: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article52908320.html

UPDATE: Investigation continues in Upatoi triple murder, no arrests


UPATOI, Ga. (UPDATE)- Columbus homicide investigators are still searching for answers that left 3 family members beaten to death in their Upatoi home Monday.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said he's unable to pinpoint a time of death because the bodies were left in the house 14 hours after police received a 9-1-1 call from Robert Short, the husband who came home after working an overnight shift to find his family murdered.

Coroner Bryan confirmed all 3 autopsies have been completed.

Captain Gordan Griswald said it’s too early in the investigation to rule any suspects out, including the husband, Robert Short.

Captain Griswald added a suspect or suspects could still be at large. He declined to get into whether this triple murder was more personal than a break in gone bad. No suspects have been named or arrested in this case....

more at: http://www.wltz.com/story/30892404/investigation-continues-in-upatoi-triple-murder-no-arrests

 

[Backwoods]

A few more links. Really sad.

Coroner: Man related to triple homicide victims dies after hearing news

A man related to the triple homicide victims found dead early Monday morning in a Upatoi home died of a heart attack after learning about their deaths, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan confirmed.

Bryan said someone witnessed Robert Averett, 68, go into cardiac arrest early Wednesday. He was immediately transported to Columbus Midtown Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead of natural causes at 2:01 a.m. that morning, the coroner stated....

...Averett learned Monday that his sister Gloria Jean Short, 56; her son Caleb Robert Short Jr., 17; and her granddaughter Gianna Lindsey, 10, were discovered dead in a 3057 Bentley Drive residence....

​

​

more at: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article53467600.html

Family offers reward for suspects in triple homicide


A Columbus family is asking the community to help them find the person responsible for murdering three of their loved ones.


The family of 54-year-old Gloria Short, 17-year-old Caleb Short, and 11-year-old Giane Lyndsie is offering a reward to anyone who finds the suspects responsible for brutally beating three of their family members to death Monday morning inside of their Upatoi, GA home....

...The Columbus Police Department continued their third day of investigation inside the home Thursday. Police say the gruesome crime scene was discovered by Gloria's husband, who was a nurse and was just getting home from work.

"He’s very,very, very, very devastated. And you can imagine what that could be like if you come home and your family is in that condition," and Averrett....

...The funeral for Gloria, Caleb and Giane will be held at Cascade Hills on Monday, Jan. 11 at 11 a.m. and the viewing will be Sunday, Jan. 10 at McMullen from 2-5 p.m.

more at: http://www.wtvm.com/story/30913894/family-offers-reward-for-suspects-in-triple-homicide









http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article53467600.html

 

[katydid23]

It is really sad seeing that picture with the big smiling faces. They looked like a happy family and it is horrible to imagine how it ended for them. I don't feel like it was the husband, I really hope not anyway.

But I don't get this sentence--I think it might be misworded:


Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said he's unable to pinpoint a time of death because the bodies were left in the house 14 hours after police received a 9-1-1 call from Robert Short, the husband who came home after working an overnight shift to find his family murdered.


The bodies were left in the house 14 hours AFTER the 911 call? WTH?

 

[Backwoods]

It is really sad seeing that picture with the big smiling faces. They looked like a happy family and it is horrible to imagine how it ended for them. I don't feel like it was the husband, I really hope not anyway.

But I don't get this sentence--I think it might be misworded:


Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said he's unable to pinpoint a time of death because the bodies were left in the house 14 hours after police received a 9-1-1 call from Robert Short, the husband who came home after working an overnight shift to find his family murdered.


The bodies were left in the house 14 hours AFTER the 911 call? WTH?

Yeah, that is weird. Even if the bodies were left in place during part of the investigation, as I think sometimes happens, you would think that basic time-of-death determining stuff like temps, etc. would have just been done on scene. Gosh, I hope that part didn't get screwed up. Maybe it IS misworded somehow...but, then, what IS he meaning to say?

 

[Backwoods]

More potential weirdness in this article from Tuesday:

Triple homicide: Police chase leads; neighbors, school react to deaths

...On Tuesday, Bryan said the bodies were removed from the house about 11:30 p.m. Monday, after police had thoroughly documented the scene, and transported to the state crime laboratory in Decatur around 7 a.m. Tuesday.

But state medical examiners were not going to conduct autopsies until today, because they first want to see the crime scene photos, the coroner said.

Forensic pathologists testifying in murder trials sometimes refer to crime scene photos to explain the markings they found on bodies during autopsies....

more at: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/crime/article53206195.html#wgt=trending


Lots of nice comments about the victims at that same link.

 

[Backwoods]

News 3 talks to the family of the triple homicide victims


MIDLAND, Ga.- It has been a whirlwind for Shameika Averett and her family since Monday.

Shameika lost her mother, brother and daughter to the triple homicide in Upatoi....

more at: http://wrbl.com/2016/01/07/family-of-triple-homicide-victims-speak-to-news-3/

 

[Backwoods]

Shaw High School reflects on slain student’s life


On Friday, Shaw High School reflected on the life of one of their classmates.

The Mass Communications Department at Shaw released a tribute video to Caleb, featuring interviews from teachers and classmates.

Caleb's teachers had nothing but good things to say about the young man....

more at: http://www.wtvm.com/story/30923318/shaw-high-school-reflects-on-slain-students-life



[video=youtube;ZgqfYLS9sj8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgqfYLS9sj8[/video]

 

[Cricket99]

more at: http://wrbl.com/2016/01/07/family-of-triple-homicide-victims-speak-to-news-3/

Wow, this poor lady must be in shock - I don't know how she is even up walking around, let alone giving a TV interview. This is terrible.

 

[gia2]

What an absolutely sickening thing to happen. I feel so sad that after such loss, the family also lost another member after the news. It's like it couldn't be worse... but then it was. How can anyone cope with this type of event.

I hope they find the person(s) responsible very soon.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

I simply cannot imagine dealing with all this loss.....so much sadness....wow. Awful. It hurts to think about it.

 

[Cricket99]

more at: http://www.wtvm.com/story/30923318/shaw-high-school-reflects-on-slain-students-life



[video=youtube;ZgqfYLS9sj8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgqfYLS9sj8[/video]

This is really beautiful :tyou:

 

[BrownRice]

This is really beautiful :tyou:

Wow. What a gorgeous kid. Seemed well adjusted, good peer relationships, overall great boy. I can't for a minute believe it could be the dad killing all these people. Would only make sense if it was some random burglary. But I'm always surprised....

 

[Backwoods]

A new article with some good info on the family and some beautiful (though heart-wrenching, under the circumstances) pictures:

'Forever missed': Shameika Averett struggles with the deaths of her daughter, brother and mother

...The case, one of the most heinous crimes in Columbus' recent past, is still under investigation. No suspects have been named, as detectives have maintain custody of the crime scene.

Averett, 36, spoke publicly about the deaths at a community service of prayer Tuesday in Fort Mitchell. On Friday, she told a Ledger-Enquirer reporter that she was too emotionally drained to be interviewed and asked King to speak on her behalf.

​

King said Averett has had to select three caskets to bury her loved ones. The funerals are set for 11 a.m. Monday at Cascade Hills Church in Columbus. A wake will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. today at McMullen Funeral Home.

"After the funeral is when it's going to really hit the wall," King said. "We were just told (Friday) that the coroner doesn't want us having an open casket. So that was pretty rough on her."

King said Gianna lived with the couple in their Fort Mitchell home. She was a fifth-grader at Ridgecrest Elementary School in Phenix City, but she stayed with Short whenever school was out because King and Shameika both had to work.

The night before the slayings, Shameika had gone to Short's house to give the child a bath and help her mother, who had back problems. When Shameika returned home, she had a sweet potato pie that her mother had baked for King, and it's still in the refrigerator.

"I was going to call her and tell her thank you, but I never did," he said....

more at: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article53978335.html


I am so confounded by what is going on here, with this case. Keep thinking about the earlier reports that say several forensic examiners/doctors will more or less confer on "how to call it" before the autopsy report is complete. How to call what? Cause of death? Manner of death? I pray that nothing is going to come out to make this any more horrible than it is already.

 

[Backwoods]

Brutal homicides spawn fear, speculation within community

...With police releasing few details of what they found Monday morning at 3057 Bentley Drive -- far out on the panhandle of Muscogee County off McKee Road north of Macon Road -- rampant speculation spread this week on social media, prompting investigators to request the public stop spreading rumors.

Meanwhile police have maintained custody of the crime scene where 56-year-old Gloria Jean Short, her 17-year-old son Caleb Robert Short Jr., and her 10-year-old granddaughter Gianna Lindsey were found beaten to death around 7:50 a.m....

Without citing specifics, police Maj. Gil Slouchick said investigators are using their most advanced technological equipment to gather evidence, borrowing some gear from another agency....

Two Columbus detectives traveled to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab in Decatur this week to be present during the victims' autopsies, said Slouchick, who added his teams of investigators have been working around the clock on the case.

Some are working on their off time, the major said.

"There's a lot of work to be done on this case," he said.

No homicide is easy, but a triple homicide involving the death of a child is particularly unsettling to those tasked with the investigation, Slouchick said....

...But the autopsy report has not been forwarded to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.

State medical examiners were to meet to discuss their findings before submitting the report.

Bryan said he thought they were being "extremely cautious" because of the significance of the case. They want to ensure the report is precise and properly worded, he said....

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more at: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article53851675.html

 

[ms_x_to_the_m]

Hmmmm is it wrong that something is not right with the daughter. Can't put my finger on it.

All MOO!

 

[Backwoods]

ms_x_to_the_m,I'm not really feeling that, but JMO.

Here is an editorial I missed posting:

Alva James-Johnson: Facebook page humanizes victim

I didn't know Gloria Short or any of her family members. Yet a visit to her Facebook page brought tears to my eyes.

There, I saw a beautiful woman who seemed to be in the prime of life....

...On Nov. 15, after the terrorist attacks in Paris, Short posted a photo of the Eiffel Tower with the following words attributed to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

So as we grapple with the senseless death of all three victims, let's not forget how human they were. ...

more at: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/article53637970.html


I don't do Facebook myself, but here is Gloria's page:

https://www.facebook.com/gloria.short.988

 

[Backwoods]

Mourners bid farewell to three homicide victims

Three shiny black hearses. Three flower-adorned caskets.

Three smiling faces erected at the front of the sanctuary.

That's the scene encountered by about 1,000 people on Monday as they walked through the doors of Cascade Hills Church, at 727 54th Street.

The crowd was there to bid farewell to Gloria Short, 56; her son Caleb, 17; and her granddaughter, Gianna, 10. The three were brutally beaten and killed Jan. 4 at their 3057 Bentley Drive home in north Columbus.

The "Celebration of Life" drew black and white, young and old to the location. They arrived as early as 9 a.m. for the 11 a.m. service, despite the bitter cold....

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more at: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/article54114375.html

 

[Backwoods]

[h=1]Funeral services held today for triple homicide victims[/h]...Currently there are no suspects in the case and the family has announced a $5,000 reward for any information into this case.

more and video at: http://wrbl.com/2016/01/11/funeral-services-held-today-for-triple-homicide-victims/

 

[Backwoods]

On the investigative side of this case...seems pretty quiet right now in the media.

Here's a report from earlier that I missed reading/posting until now:

[h=1]Lots of work ahead in triple homicide case[/h]...We reached out to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and they say their Columbus field office is not involved in the case....

more and video at: http://wrbl.com/2016/01/06/lots-of-work-ahead-in-triple-homicide-case/

They mention checking cameras, at this link. With the two vehicles that were removed (apparently) from the home and later located, I have been thinking that sure would be a good avenue to go down. Hope it yields valuable info.

 

[Backwoods]

Mayor: 'Justice will be provided' for 3 Upatoi homicide victims


COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - Three members of one Columbus family, brutally beaten to death last week inside of their Upatoi home, were all laid to rest on Monday.

More than 1,000 people were in attendance including Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson who says she was close to some of the family....

..."We have so many resources on this and it looks as if we are making great progress and so I feel as if there is going to be justice for the family and certainly resolution for the family in the near future," said Tomlinson after the funeral....

..."It wasn't a random act. So we don't believe at this time that this was a group of individuals were going around randomly attacking people or families. For whatever sick or perverse reasons they went there with a particular purpose. We don't believe at this time that the community at large is at jeopardy," says Tomlinson....

more at: http://www.wtvm.com/story/30939241/mayor-justice-will-be-provided-for-3-upatoi-homicide-victims