A 17-year-old wanted in connection with a Douglas County shooting death was taken into custody Monday night, authorities said.
Nathanael Michael Searcy was arrested on a murder charge in the death of 21-year-old Melvin Porter, whose body was found last Tuesday inside his wrecked minivan in a Lithia Springs backyard.
Douglas County deputies responded to the crash in the Silver Creek Ranch subdivision and found Porter dead behind the wheel. They determined he had been shot while driving down Silver Way, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Investigators followed leads, canvassed the neighborhood and conducted interviews into the early morning hours,” the agency said when announcing Searcy’s arrest warrants. “According to eyewitnesses and with the assistance of home surveillance videos 17-year-old Nathanael Michael Searcy was identified as the individual who shot and killed Melvin Porter.”
The motive behind the deadly shooting was not disclosed.
In addition to the murder charge, Searcy is facing charges of drug possession and theft by receiving stolen property. He is being held in the Douglas County Jail until his bond can be considered by a judge.
Two “associates” of Searcy’s were arrested March 16 at the scene of the crime, the sheriff’s office said. Their names and charges were not released, but the agency said it expected to make more arrests.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Jay Hayes at 770-920-4905 or Jhayes@sheriff.douglas.ga.us. You may also contact the Douglas sheriff’s office by calling 770-949-5656 or emailing MCUnit@sheriff.douglas.ga.us.
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