The former boyfriend of a 24-year-old woman found dead in a burned car in Athens has been arrested, the GBI said Friday. He was not charged in her death, investigators said.
Rodricus Deuntae Ward was charged with possessing a firearm by a convicted felon and was booked into the Greene County jail, GBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ayers said late Friday.
Ward’s arrest is associated with the homicide case, Ayers told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“The investigation is ongoing,” Ayers said. “It’s been fruitful and we’re making progress, and I’m confidant we’ll be able to resolve this.
Gibbons, an Athens native, was found dead Wednesday afternoon in a car that had been set on fire at a quarry, according to police. Investigators used dental records to identify the woman as Gibbons.
Gibbons, a graduate of Cedar Shoals High School and Albany State University, was living in Atlanta, but often returned to Athens to visit her mother, Ayers said. She was never reported missing, he said.
Ward was released from state prison in September 2013 after serving just under two years on a family violence and robbery conviction in Greene County, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Anyone with information on Gibbons’ death should contact Detective Charles Ivey at 706-613-3330 (ext. 337) or the Crime Stoppers tip line at 706-613-3342.
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