Marquise Jabaar On November 30, Deputy Robert Grier was dispatched to 1236 Cooktown Road in reference to a burglary that had already occurred.

Chief Deputy Shane Rathel and Chief Investigator Ben Nix were called to the scene, along with Sheriff Buddy Glass.

Deputy Grier had made contact with Ms. Renee Haire, owner of the residence, and was advised that she had left for work at around 7:00 a.m. headed to the Miller County School. Ms. Haire stated that when she arrived at work, she realized she had forgotten a book at her residence.

Ms. Haire stated that when she returned home to retrieve the book, she noticed that a piece of furniture had been moved in the bedroom and the bedroom had been ransacked. She then entered the living room area and noticed a wrapped Christmas present had been removed from under the tree and unwrapped. At this time, Ms. Haire realized the rear window of the residence had been broken. Upon arrival of Chief Deputy Rathel, Chief Investigator Nix and Sheriff Glass, it was discovered that a vehicle had been parked in the back yard of the residence. The tracks indicated that the vehicle had taken off at a high rate of speed.

John Butler Jr. Upon Rathel and Nix entering the residence, they noticed a Nintendo WII that had been dropped in the dining room area of the residence. It appeared when Ms. Haire had pulled up at her residence, the burglars fled the scene.

While Investigators were collecting evidence, dispatch gave out a bolo for suspects and a suspected vehicle that had been involved in a burglary in Newton approximately four to five hours prior to the burglary on Cooktown Road.

Chief Deputy Shane Rathel made contact with Chief Aubrey Suggs of the Newton Police Department and obtained information about the burglary. Officer Suggs gave a description of the three black males and the vehicle.

After leaving the residence, Ms. Haire called back to tell investigators her sons’ cell phones were also missing. Chief Deputy Rathel advised Ms. Haire to leave service connected until the next day to see if any calls would be made. On December 1, Ms. Haire advised the deputy that several calls had been made from the phones. One of the calls was made to a home here in Colquitt.

The officers went to the residence and made contact with the occupant of the home who told investigators that John Butler Jr. and two unknown black males had come to their residence on November 30 at approximately 9:00 a.m. Mr. Butler had made the call from one of the phones stolen in the burglary. The owner of the home also described the same vehicle used in the Newton burglary as the one who visited the home.

A bolo was put out for the vehicle and the three occupants thought to be traveling either to Alabama or possibly back to Savannah.

On December 3, Chief Investigator Nix made contact with the Savannah Chatham County Police Department in Savannah. On December 4, the Savannah Police made a traffic stop on a vehicle, and John Butler Jr. was arrested. Then on December 5, an officer with the Chatham County Police Department stopped the suspected vehicle in the Newton and Miller County burglary. The suspect fled on foot, but the vehicle was towed for evidence.

John Butler Jr. has been arrested on numerous burglary charges. Marquis Jaabar Wilder has had warrants issued by Baker and Miller County. Warrants are pending on the third suspect at this time.

Sheriff Glass commented on the joint effort made by the three agencies that worked together to solve these burglaries.