Georgia Couple Found Dead After Truck Theft Suspect Crashes During Police Pursuit

Bryan County, GA — Authorities are investigating a double homicide in Bryan County after a suspect involved in a stolen vehicle incident crashed during a police pursuit and was later found to have shot himself.

Bryan County Sheriff Mark D. Crowe said the community is mourning the loss of Kenneth C. “Craig” Lanier and Rhonda Lanier, who were found dead inside their home Sunday evening.

“At times like this, our hearts are very heavy,” Crowe said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Lanier family during this time of grief.”

According to investigators, the incident began around 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, when a man stopped near Nevils, Georgia, to help a motorist who had reportedly run out of gas. While the man stepped away from his truck to retrieve a gas can from his home, the individual later identified as Anthony Andrea Forney climbed into the truck and drove away.

The truck’s owner called Bulloch County 911 and was able to track the vehicle using a GPS system while speaking with dispatchers. At one point, the vehicle was reported near Sally Mae’s Restaurant on Highway 67 in Bulloch County.

Bulloch County deputies and Georgia State Patrol units responded to the area but were unable to locate the vehicle. A later GPS update showed the truck traveling near Ash Branch Church Road, which led authorities into Bryan County.

As officers responded to the area, they saw a man driving a gray Toyota Camry at a high rate of speed leaving a driveway. Officers recognized the driver as the same suspect involved in the earlier truck theft and began pursuing the vehicle.

During the pursuit, the Camry’s brake lights suddenly activated before the vehicle lost control, ran into a ditch, and overturned.

When officers approached the crashed vehicle, they discovered that the suspect had shot himself inside the car before the crash.

Meanwhile, deputies who remained at the residence the Camry had left discovered the stolen pickup truck parked behind the home.

When officers attempted to make contact with the residents, they looked through the windows and saw two people lying on the floor. Deputies entered the home and found Craig Lanier and Rhonda Lanier deceased from gunshot wounds.

Authorities say the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths is ongoing.