The Ogeechee Judicial Circuit’s top prosecutor’s office is turning to a familiar face after a sudden loss. Gov. Brian Kemp has named veteran prosecutor Jillian Gibson acting district attorney for the circuit after District Attorney D. Robert Busbee died suddenly last week. Busbee collapsed while working out at a downtown Statesboro gym on May 22 and was later pronounced dead at East Georgia Regional Medical Center. The Ogeechee Circuit, which includes Bulloch, Effingham, Jenkins and Screven counties, will be led by Gibson while the governor selects a permanent successor.
Gibson, who had been Busbee’s chief assistant and head of the office’s major crimes division, will serve until Gov. Kemp names someone to complete the rest of the four-year term, according to The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution. The move is intended to keep high-profile prosecutions moving while the office navigates its loss. Local officials said the transition was made to preserve continuity in active cases.
How Busbee died
Busbee collapsed while working out at The Garage in downtown Statesboro on May 22. Bulloch County 911 logged an initial call at 8:04 a.m., and he was taken to East Georgia Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:07 a.m., according to the Bulloch County coroner. Coroner Chuck Francis said there was no suspicion of foul play and that his office will consult the GBI medical examiner to determine the official cause, as reported by the Statesboro Herald. The DA’s office closed for the day and asked the public to respect the family’s privacy.
Community reaction
Colleagues, elected officials and residents quickly filled local news pages and social feeds with condolences for Busbee’s wife Erika and their three young children. The DA’s office described his death as a “tragedy” and said the outpouring of support has been “overwhelming,” and the gym posted that it held its annual Memorial Day “Murph” workout in his honor, according to WTOC. Bulloch County leaders praised Busbee’s focus on violent crime and called for continued work on cases he was pursuing.
Who is Jillian Gibson
Gibson is a veteran prosecutor who moved from civil practice into the DA’s office in 2014 and had been named chief assistant and co-lead of the Major Crimes Division, with more than a decade of trial experience, according to a press release summarized by The Georgia Virtue. The outlet reported she helped secure convictions in high-profile homicide trials and serves on the circuit’s child fatality review committees. Her appointment as acting DA positions her to keep an experienced team in place during the transition.
What’s next
Gov. Kemp will pick a permanent successor to finish Busbee’s term, and in the meantime Gibson will handle the office’s caseload, officials said in news reports. Busbee had been serving as the outside district attorney on an investigation into Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams, and that probe may now be reassigned or put on hold while state authorities decide how to proceed. The practical outcome will depend on decisions by the governor’s office and state investigators, per reporting by WRDW/WAGT.
