A longtime youth baseball coach in south DeKalb County is staying behind bars for now, after a judge refused to grant him bond in a revived 2008 sexual assault case that prosecutors say was cracked with DNA evidence years later.
Elzie Fulks, who has coached local youth teams, has been indicted in connection with a July 2008 assault of a 17-year-old. Authorities say a DNA match from testing completed a decade later brought the cold case back to life amid statewide efforts to process old sexual-assault kits.
Bond hearing and charges
At a bond hearing this week, DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson ordered Fulks to remain in jail, according to WSB-TV. Fulks was taken into custody on Jan. 16 and faces one count of rape and two counts of aggravated sodomy after a DeKalb grand jury returned an indictment in November, the station reported.
Prosecutors say the 2008 incident involved a 17-year-old who was walking to a MARTA station, was offered a ride and was later dropped off near the train station after the assault. Investigators at the time described the suspect vehicle as a dark-colored Ford Explorer, according to the station.
Court record confirms charges
DeKalb County Superior Court records list the matter as case 25CR4508 and show Fulks' arrest date as Jan. 16, 2026. The docket reflects charges of rape and two counts of aggravated sodomy.
The court calendar identifies Agatha K. Romanowski as the state attorney and Justin Spizman as defense counsel, places the case on the Superior Court docket and notes that it remains pending. See the DeKalb County Superior Court for the official entries.
How DNA testing reopened the case
The Georgia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) task force tested the victim’s kit in 2018, and investigators say DNA from that testing matched Fulks, according to WSB-TV. That development prompted prosecutors to move the case forward.
The state’s SAKI effort was created to inventory and test previously unsubmitted sexual-assault kits and to support follow-up investigations and prosecutions, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council notes. DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston has publicly praised the task force’s work and said survivors deserve their day in court, comments reported by the station.
Coaching role and community
Fulks is listed among volunteer coaches on the South DeKalb Tribe youth baseball program’s roster, which confirms his work with local teams. In parts of south DeKalb where volunteer coaches are familiar faces at parks and ballfields, that listing has put the case in the community spotlight.
The South DeKalb Tribe roster continues to name Fulks among its coaches.
Legal context
Georgia’s aggravated sodomy statute, O.C.G.A. §16-6-2, authorizes particularly severe penalties, including life imprisonment or a split sentence of 25 years to life followed by probation. Rape is separately codified under O.C.G.A. §16-6-1 with its own felony penalties. The specific sentence, if a conviction occurs, would depend on jury findings and applicable sentencing laws. Fulks is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
For statute text and penalties, see O.C.G.A. §16-6-2 and O.C.G.A. §16-6-1.
What’s next
The case remains active in DeKalb Superior Court and will move through the usual schedule of filings and hearings. Future court entries will show whether trial dates or additional proceedings are set.
For the latest official scheduling information and any updated docket activity, the public record is available through the DeKalb County Superior Court calendar.
