GBI Makes Arrest in Wayne County Death Investigation, Still Searching for 2nd Suspect

An arrest has been made in an investigation of a death in Wayne county.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says investigators with the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office and GBI agents arrested 25-year-old D’vonta O’Neal of Alma on October 7. O’Neal was charged with one count of Felony Murder, one count Party to the Crime of Aggravated Assault, and one count of Party to the Crime of Armed Robbery. The arrest stems from the death of Tuck Taylor, who had been missing from Alma, Ga in Bacon County since October 2.

Warrants have also been obtained for Devante Batton, 24, of Alma, charged with one count of Felony Murder, one count of Aggravated Assault, one count of Armed Robbery, and one count of Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Crime. Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Devante Batton is encouraged to contact the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office at (912) 632-5161 or the GBI Douglas office at (912) 389-4103.

The GBI says the Douglas Regional Office was contact on Monday, October 5 by the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office to assist with a missing person investigation. On Saturday, October 3, 2020, the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office initiated a missing person investigation regarding Tuck Taylor, 47, of Alma. Taylor was last seen on Friday October 2, 2020, by family members. On Wednesday, October 7, the investigation led investigators to a wooded area near West Lake Drive, in Screven, Wayne County, GA. GBI agents from the Douglas and Kingsland regional offices, Bacon County Sheriff’s Office investigators, and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office investigators located Taylor, deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. Taylor’s body was transported to the GBI Crime Lab in Pooler for an autopsy.

The investigation remains open and ongoing. In addition to information on Batton’s whereabouts, anyone with information may contact the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office or the GBI Douglas office.