A Blue Ridge man faces murder and aggravated assault charges in the shootings of two Fannin County residents that left one person dead and another injured.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) says Vern Bennett, 48, is accused of murdering Blue Ridge resident Jennifer Layman, 54, and shooting a second unnamed victim, also of Blue Ridge, who is expected to survive.
"On March 9, 2022, the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a person shot call on Loud Lane in Blue Ridge," the GBI said in a press release on Thursday. "While there, the Sheriff’s Office determined Bennett was the person responsible for the shooting."
The victim, whose named has not been released, was taken to a local hospital with unspecified injuries.
Bennett was soon located by the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office and taken into custody.
"After Bennett was taken into custody, the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office and the Blue Ridge Police Department conducted a welfare check at a residence on Orchard Boulevard, where they located Layman deceased," the statement read.
After the crime scene was secured by the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office and the Blue Ridge Police Department, the GBI was called in to assist the investigation.
The GBI said that once the investigation has been completed, it will be turned over to the Appalachian Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
