The husband of a woman whose decomposing body was found in a Spalding County home on Sunday has been arrested and charged with murder.
Sheriff's investigators initially posted a lookout for Vernon Thomas Young Sunday night, fearing that the 65-year-old man might be in danger, but Young was located overnight after deputies spotted his pickup truck parked outside a Griffin motel, according to Spalding sheriff's Capt. Tony Ranieri.
Ranieri said that when deputies went to Young's home in 100 block of Barnesville Road earlier on Sunday for a "welfare check," they found the decomposing body of 63-year-old Olivia Young. She had apparently been dead for about two weeks.
After deputies found her husband at a local motel, he told them that he had shot and killed his wife.
"Mr. Young stated briefly to investigators at the motel that his wife was ill and that he shot her twice in the head while she was sleeping so that she did not have to go through her illness anymore," Ranieri said.
According to Sheriff Dee Stewart, investigators are trying to determine what, if any illness, Olivia Young may have had.
Vernon Young was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, concealing a death and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
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