The Gwinnett County man charged with murder for allegedly shooting and killing a 22-year-old was released from jail Wednesday afternoon.

Phillip Walker Sailors, 69, of Lilburn, was released after posting $11,200 bond, according to Gwinnett County jail records. Sailors was arrested Sunday afternoon and charged with murder in the death of Rodrigo Diaz of Duluth.

Friends of Diaz said he pulled into the driveway of a Hillcrest Drive home Saturday night, believing it was a friend’s home. Sailors allegedly came out of the home with a gun and fired a shot that struck Diaz in the head. Diaz died early Sunday following surgery at Gwinnett Medical Center.

Sailors believed someone was attempting to break into his house and feared for his life, his attorney has said. Sailors, a Vietnam veteran and avid church volunteer, has no prior criminal history.

About the Author

Keep Reading

A Korean Air plane takes off from Incheon International Airport in South Korea on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. The plane is chartered to bring back Korean workers detained in an immigration raid in Georgia. (Yonhap via AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

Delta employees are under investigation because of content “related to the recent murder of activist Charlie Kirk” that “went well beyond healthy, respectful debate,” CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a companywide memo Friday. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez