On March 7, 2024, 41-year-old Jessica Lynn Hatcher Thompson and her 17-year-old daughter, Julianna Denise Thompson, were found dead in their apartment in the 100 block of Wells Street in Smithville, Georgia, after the Smithville Police Department responded to a 911 call. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist and determined both women were victims of a double homicide, turning a quiet neighborhood into the scene of a major criminal investigation.

Investigators later identified a suspect. On April 9, 2024, the GBI announced the arrest of 28-year-old Marcus Dontavious Butts of Preston, Georgia. He was taken into custody at the Lee County Jail and faces charges including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, home invasion, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the double homicide.

Jessica was a mother of three described as devoted to her children. Julianna had recently earned her GED and planned to attend Albany Tech to study phlebotomy, hoping eventually to work in a school system supporting children’s mental health. Does anyone in the Smithville area have information about the family, the apartment on Wells Street, or events leading up to March 7 that could help the investigation?