An 18-year-old man from Douglas, Georgia, has been taken into custody by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) on charges including felony murder, connected to the shooting death of a young woman in Coffee County. The suspect, named Prince "PJ" Thomas, is also facing charges for three counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
On the morning of August 7, Jameria Studivent, also 18, was shot while traveling in a vehicle on Miller Road. She was in the company of two others at the time of the incident. Following the shooting, the car made its way to Coffee Regional Medical Center, where, despite medical efforts, Studivent succumbed to her injuries. An autopsy to determine the exact cause and manner of death will be conducted by the GBI Medical Examiner's Office in Macon, the GBI reported.
According to preliminary findings of the GBI investigation, Thomas alleged the vehicle Studivent was in appeared suspicious and fired shots from his yard. There was recognition between Thomas and another individual in Studivent's vehicle, however, there appears to be no provocation for the violent act that led to the young woman's death.
After learning that authorities were searching for him, Thomas turned himself in. He is now being held at the Coffee County Jail. The ongoing investigation invites anyone with potentially valuable information to contact the Douglas Regional Investigative Office of the GBI at (912) 389-4103, or the Coffee County Sheriff's Office at (912) 384-4227. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online, or via the See Something, Send Something mobile app. Once the GBI concludes its investigation, the case dossier will be handed over to the Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office, which will handle the prosecution.
