Camo-dressed Jones County teen shot to death in Juliette yard

A 14-year-old Jones County boy was shot to death late Saturday night in Juliette.

Johnathan Luke Woodard of Will Jackson Road was fatally wounded in the neck in a yard off Barron Russell Road, near the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, Jones County Deputy Coroner Matt Jarratt said said.

"He had some medical issues going on," Jarratt said.

The teen suffered from bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactive disorder, said Jones County sheriff's Maj. Earl Humphries.

The boy was carrying a knife while allegedly prowling in a yard.

Investigators later found a toy gun and a bow nearby.

"It looks like he might have been out there a while," Humphries said.

Sheriff Butch Reece said while deputies were investigating the fatal shooting, they got a call about a missing person down the road.

Woodard's home is about a mile away on some dirt roads from where he was shot.

He was dressed in camouflage pants and had a similar pattern around his neck under a dark jacket, Humphries said. The boy was wearing a face mask, too, Jarratt said.

After 11:30 p.m. Saturday, a woman living in the 140 block of Barron Russell Road noticed a shadowy figure lurking around a window when she returned from shopping, Humphries said.

She woke up her roommate, 42-year-old Randy William McCaw, who unlocked his gun and went to investigate as the woman called 911.

"During the 911 call, there's what sounds like a shout and a crack of a gunshot," Humphries said.

On the recording, he heard a voice say: "I see you. Stop!"

Woodard was outside in the dark with only a light about 200 feet away on an outdoor shop.

"At one point the kid then turns toward the homeowner. At the time, he didn't know who it was," Humphries said.

McCaw fired a shot, then stayed with Woodard until deputies arrived.

"He's taking it pretty rough," Humphries said.

Woodard was pronounced dead shortly after 3:30 a.m. Sunday in the yard not far from the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, Jarratt said.

An autopsy Monday morning at the GBI crime lab in Macon showed the teen died of a single gunshot wound to the neck.

Counselors were available for Woodard's classmates at the Jones County 9th Grade Academy, according to the Jones County Board of Education.

"Our response team is here to meet the needs of our students. It's tragic," Superintendent Chuck Gibson said.

Humphries said no charges have been filed against McCaw, and he did not expect any.

"It was kinda sad and tragic," he said. "It looked like he may have been prowling."

Those present at McCaw's residence Monday afternoon said he did not want to speak to reporters.

Attempts to reach Woodard's family were unsuccessful.

Staff writer Laura Corley contributed to this report. To contact writer Liz Fabian, call 744-4303 and find her on Twitter@liz_lines.

This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Camo-dressed Jones County teen shot to death in Juliette yard ."