In December 2012, a Spalding County man joined in the search for a missing 9-year-old neighbor. On Thursday, that same man was convicted of murder in the death of Skylar Jade Dials.
A jury convicted Shane Clifton Collett of malice murder and felony murder Thursday afternoon, a spokeswoman for the Spalding County Superior Court said.
Skylar was a fourth-grader when she left her home in the Williamson community on a morning just days before Christmas to a walk down a gravel road to a friend’s house about a quarter-mile away. She planned to spend the night with her friend, her family told police. She had left home wearing her favorite sweater: a hand-me-down pink and white cardigan. That afternoon, Skylar was reported missing.
Neighbors and police searched for hours for Skylar, whose body was found behind a pile of logging debris. Collett was arrested the same night.
About the Author
