Centerville man sentenced to life in prison in 2021 Warner Robins motel murder case

A Houston County jury convicted a Centerville man of murder in the case of a 2021 motel slaying in Warner Robins, officials said.

John Bay Gollott, 23, was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole Thursday after the jury found him guilty of murdering Kristopher Ryan Mast, 24, in July of 2021, according to a statement from Houston County District Attorney William Kendall’s office.

“Violence perpetrated by young men and women is a tragedy plaguing our modern society. Not only is the life of the victim and his family ruined, but also a young man who made a heinous decision to take another’s life,” Kendall said in a press release.

The trial lasted three days and saw prosecuting attorneys build a timeline that linked Gollott to the case, the statement said. The jury deliberated for five hours before convicting Gollott.

It was the night of July 4, 2021, when Gollott and Mast were both staying at the Motel 6 on Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins, the statement said. Though the two did not know each other, they were staying in neighboring rooms, Mast with his girlfriend.

After Mast got into an argument with his girlfriend and left his room, Gollott followed him down to a “secluded area” in the parking lot behind the hotel, attorneys said, adding that Gollott then shot Mast in the neck, stomach and abdomen before leaving the motel. Mast’s body was discovered about 30 minutes later.

The Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force arrested Gollott the next day and found a gun that was linked to the shell casings in the motel parking lot, according to the statement. Gollott initially said Mast tried to rob him, but later admitted that was not the case.

Gollott pleaded self-defense at trial, but the jury found he was not justified in killing Mast.