Crime

Sheriff arrests 3 in Christmas Eve murder after Macon man’s body is found in a car

jvorhees@macon.com

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office arrested three men in connection with a suspicious death after a body was found hidden in a car in Macon on Christmas Eve.

The investigation over the holiday weekend began Saturday afternoon around 2 p.m. after deputies responded to a report of a shooting on Fort Hill Street a few blocks from the intersection of Gray Highway and Shurling Drive in east Macon, according to a news release.

When deputies arrived at the area, however, residents told them there had not been a shooting in the area. When they didn’t see any signs of a shooting or fight, the deputies left.

Just before 7 a.m. Sunday, anonymous callers started dialing 911 giving vague details about a shooting and where a body might be found, according to a news release. Deputies started investigating again, talking to suspected sources and searching for a potential victim.

Deputies returned to Fort Street at about 1 p.m. Christmas Eve to find the body of Artice Pettigrew, 52, in the back of a car, the news release stated.

After a brief investigation, deputies arrested Ladonta Lamont Solomon, 46, at about 10 p.m. Sunday night in connection with the shooting. Two others, Charles Edward Solomon, 70, and Tyric Deonte Solomon, 25, were arrested and accused of hiding Pettigrew’s body.

All three men are being held without bond at the Bibb County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office. The shooting was still under investigation as of Tuesday.

This story was originally published December 26, 2023 at 9:54 AM.

MJ
Micah Johnston
The Telegraph
Micah Johnston is a general assignment reporter for the Macon Telegraph. A Macon native and Mercer University graduate, he joined The Telegraph in 2022. When he’s not writing about anything under the sun, you can find him obsessively following baseball, reading or playing drums.
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