Will no one go to prison for elderly woman’s murder?
When the victim of a crime is elderly, it can seem particularly unfair.
But in fairness to this case, both the victims and the accused killer are senior citizens.
The 2013 stabbings took place at the Baptist Towers senior citizen high-rise in southwest Atlanta.
According to defendant Geary Otis’s lawyer, the accused killer is “a good guy” who “just snapped” that bloody afternoon in June, when he was 64.
So Otis’ defense team was thrilled when the Georgia Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Otis cannot be prosecuted again for killing Mary Oliver, 75, and wounding Emmanuel Surry, who is now 76.
The high court cited double jeopardy and pointed to mistakes made by the trial judge in April 2014.
But the justices’ explanation might leave observers who lack a law degree scratching their heads.
Even a legal expert, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, is baffled — and very, very bothered — by the ruling.
How did the high court explain its decision? And what does DA Howard intend to do about it? Find out on MyAJC.com.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
