Eric Lewis Morgan, 31, was found shot to death in the yard of a residence in the 5500 block of Lee Avenue in Eastman, Georgia, after gunfire was reported by a caller around 8:10 a.m. on November 18, 2025. Morgan sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Medical Examiner’s Office in Decatur for autopsy.

Family members described Morgan as a fun-loving, adventurous father of three who worked at a wood-chip mill in Chauncey. A cousin said Morgan was trying to run to his father’s house for safety when he was shot. The shooting’s proximity to Dodge County Middle School and Dodge County High School prompted a soft lockdown at both schools.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took the lead on the inquiry at the Eastman Police Department’s request. On November 20, 2025, the GBI arrested 30-year-old Trustis Darun Deeds of Eastman and booked him into the Dodge County Jail on charges including Felony Murder, Malice Murder, and two counts of Aggravated Assault. Authorities say the investigation remains active and have not released a motive or described any relationship between Morgan and Deeds.

Did anyone in the community see or hear anything near Lee Avenue that morning that could help the investigation?