As he walked home from church in December, Paul Guerrant was brutally beaten and left to die along a Dalton road. Drivers saw Guerrant lying in the road and called 911, but it was too late.

Police now hope a $10,000 reward will help find the person responsible for beating the 43-year-old man to death.

On the night of Dec. 22, Guerrant talked on his cell phone with a friend from out of state as he walked home from a meeting at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on West Emery Street, according to investigators. Guerrant’s phone call ended at 9:28 p.m., and a passerby called 911 at 9:37 p.m., police said Tuesday.

During those nine minutes, Guerrant was beaten as he walked along Dozier Street, according to police. He was transported to Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton and later to Erlanger in Chattanooga, where he was pronounced dead. The coroner’s office determined that Guerrant was killed by multiple blunt force wounds to his head, police said.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Detective Brian Shirley at 706-278-9085, dial 9 and then enter extension 189.

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

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