A Coffee County argument over a dog ended in deadly violence, leaving a 34-year-old Douglas man dead and three people, including a teenager, facing serious charges.
Deputies responding to a home on Broxton West Green Highway on June 7 found Dustin Ryan Bowen with multiple gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead, and what started as a fight over a canine quickly turned into a homicide investigation, according to state authorities.
GBI Says Dog Argument Turned Deadly
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Coffee County Sheriff's Office called in state agents after deputies discovered Bowen's injuries at the scene.
Preliminary findings from investigators indicate that Bowen was shot multiple times during a dispute involving a canine. The GBI says the case remains active and ongoing as agents work alongside local deputies to sort out who did what and why.
Who Authorities Have Charged
As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, three people now face charges connected to the shooting.
GBI agents arrested 24-year-old Breanalee Nichole Lollie of Douglas on a charge of party to the crime of murder. Eighteen-year-old Raymond Ressler was charged with aggravated assault, and a 16-year-old, whose name has not been released, is charged with murder and aggravated assault.
Officials say Lollie and Ressler were booked into the Coffee County Jail. The juvenile suspect was taken to a regional youth detention center while the investigation moves forward.
Sheriff's Office Response
Coffee County Sheriff Fred Cole called the killing a preventable tragedy and urged residents to think twice before letting tempers boil over.
“Any loss of life is tragic,” Cole said, adding that people should call 911 instead of personally confronting others when disputes flare up.
The Coffee County Sheriff's Office said deputies and GBI agents remained on the scene after the shooting, working to piece together how a disagreement over a dog escalated into gunfire.
How To Help
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is asking anyone with information about the case to contact its Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at 912-389-4103. Tipsters can also submit information anonymously by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477) or by using the agency’s online tip portal.
Officials say tips can be kept confidential and will feed directly into the ongoing investigation.
What's Next
Once investigators complete their work, the case file will be turned over to the Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for review, according to the Sheriff's Office. Prosecutors will then decide what formal charges to pursue as the GBI and local deputies continue to build the case.
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