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Athens murder suspect turns himself in

Joseph Baughns

Credit: Clarke County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Clarke County Sheriff's Office

Joseph Baughns
By
July 29, 2020

The suspect accused of fatally shooting a Gainesville man near downtown Athens turned himself in to police Wednesday morning, one day after authorities announced they were searching for him.

Joseph Baughns, 35, of Athens, faces one count of malice murder in the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Jarred Lamar Sanders.

Sanders was shot and killed just before 2 p.m. Monday in the 100 block of Hickman Drive, not far from the University of Georgia campus, Athens-Clarke County police said previously.

It’s still unclear what led to the shooting, or how police identified Baughns as a suspect in the case.

“We are pleased that Mr. Baughns decided to do the right thing and turn himself in,” Athens police Chief Cleveland Spruill said in a statement. “Otherwise, we would have spent whatever time necessary to find him.”

The 35-year-old is being held without bond at the Athens-Clarke County Jail, online records show.

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