ELBERT COUNTY, Ga. — The GBI has released new information about the circumstances surrounding the shooting deaths of a man and woman late last month in Elbert County.
Investigators say 62-year-old Refugio O. Torres was found shot inside a crashed vehicle on Pulliam Mill Road, and 31-year-old Moriah Lane Mills died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound nearby. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Wounded man identified shooter
The newly released details outline a rapidly unfolding series of events that began shortly before 4 p.m. on November 29, when Elbert County E911 received a call reporting a man who had been shot near Martin Villa Drive and Pleasant Hill Road. Deputies and EMS arrived to find a seriously wounded man who identified Mills as the shooter before being transported to the hospital.
As deputies searched for Mills, a second 911 call came in reporting a vehicle crash and a woman matching the suspect’s description in a yard on Pulliam Mill Road. When a deputy arrived, he discovered what appeared to be a single-vehicle wreck. As he stepped out to investigate, he saw Mills holding a handgun in a grassy area separated from the roadway. The deputy ordered her to drop the weapon, but investigators say she shot herself.
Inside the wrecked vehicle, deputies found Torres, who was already dead.
Police seek public’s help
Autopsies for both Torres and Mills are being conducted by the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office. The surviving victim from the initial shooting remains hospitalized as the investigation continues.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the GBI Athens office at 706-552-2309, submit tips anonymously at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at the GBI website, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app. The case will be turned over to the Northern Judicial Circuit for review once the investigation is complete.
