Georgia Man Charged in 1996 Murder of Pastor After 30-Year Investigation

HAZLEHURST, Ga. — A south Georgia man has been charged in the 1996 killing of a church pastor, marking a major development in a case that remained unsolved for three decades.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that Zachary B. Harper, 47, of Hazlehurst, has been charged with one count of Malice Murder and one count of Felony Murder in connection with the death of 54-year-old James Hand.

According to investigators, Hand was found dead on June 1, 1996, on the roof of the Full Gospel Church of Snipesville in Jeff Davis County.

Deputies with the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office responded to the church and discovered Hand suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators determined that Hand, who served as the church’s pastor, had been repairing the roof when he was shot and killed.

Shortly after the discovery, the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Authorities said the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Douglas and the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office continued working the case over the next 30 years, pursuing leads and reviewing evidence in an effort to identify the person responsible for Hand’s death.

The GBI announced that additional information developed during the investigation recently led authorities to charge Harper in connection with the homicide.

Harper is currently incarcerated at the Jenkins Correctional Facility, where he is serving a life sentence on unrelated convictions.

Officials emphasized that the investigation remains active and ongoing.

Anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at 912-389-4103. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the GBI tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile application.

Once the investigation is completed, the case will be presented to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.