The SUV belonging to the Georgia man accused of killing five people was located in Tennessee, the Troup County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
But it's not yet known how Thomas Jesse Lee got from Tennessee to Mississippi, where he was arrested Monday afternoon. Lee, 26, has been charged with five counts of murder for allegedly killing four of his family members and a family friend inside the LaGrange home where all six lived, according to police.
Tuesday night, Lee was returned to Troup County, where he is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday morning.
Earlier Monday, Troup deputies released a photo of the green Mazda Tribute that Lee was believed to be driving. Admittedly, investigators had very few clues to Lee’s whereabouts.
Hours later, Lee was in custody, thanks to Mississippi church pastor who thought he was helping someone in need, according to police. Crossroads Baptist Church in Alcorn, Miss., bought Lee a bus ticket to get to Opelika, Ala. Later, the pastor recognized Lee’s picture in a news report about a murder suspect missing from Georgia and called police.
Lee waived extradition and was brought back to Georgia late Tuesday, Troup County Sgt. Stewart Smith. Investigators also plan to get the SUV returned from Tennessee, he said.
Late Saturday, Troup deputies were called to a home on Woodstream Trail in the Water’s Edge subdivision for a welfare check. Inside the home, investigators made the gruesome discovery: Everyone who lived inside the home was dead, except for Lee, who was missing.
Those killed included Lee’s wife, Christie Lee, 33; father-in-law William Burtron, 69; mother-in-law, Sheila Burtron, 68; step-daughter, Bailey Burtron, 16; and Iiaonna Green, 18, a family friend.
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