Dooly County man killed neighbors, then himself, GBI says

A Dooly County man killed two of his neighbors before taking his own life, the GBI said at a news conference Monday.

Priscilla Adams and her teenage daughter were “going about their daily routine” before dawn Jan. 25, when the man living across Hill Street in Byromville fired five shots at them, GBI Special Agent J.T. Ricketson said.

Adams, 37, died in an ambulance in the front yard of her mobile home. A 17-month-old boy also succumbed to his wounds. Adams’ teenage daughter was critically wounded.

After sunrise, as crime scene investigators combed the area for evidence, the body of Willie James Merrell was found in the backyard at his home across the street.

A .30-30-caliber rifle, the same gun used to kill the neighbors, was “within arms reach” of him, Ricketson said.

The teenager survived the shooting and is staying with a family member in the county.

The investigative conclusion announced Monday comes after autopsies, DNA analysis, crime scene reconstructions and interviews.

“There’s no good ending to this story,” Dooly Sheriff Craig Peavy said to a group of reporters. “We have to keep moving forward. … My job is to help Byromville and Dooly County heal.”

This story was originally published February 5, 2018 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Dooly County man killed neighbors, then himself, GBI says."