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The following was taken from a press release distributed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on December 8, 2025.
ELBERT COUNTY, Ga. – The GBI is assisting the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) with a series of shooting incidents resulting in two deaths.
On Saturday, November 29, 2025, at about 4:00 p.m., the ECSO responded to a 911 call about a man who had been shot near the 1500 block of Bowman Highway in Elberton, GA. The victim identified the woman who shot him as Moriah Lane Mills, age 31, of Elberton, GA, who ran away after the shooting. While searching for Mills, an ECSO deputy discovered what looked like a single-car accident on Pulliam Road in Dewy Rose. When the deputy got out of his car, he saw Mills in a grassy area separated from the road, holding a handgun. The deputy told Mills to drop the weapon, but Mills shot herself. Mills was pronounced dead at the scene.
The body of a man, later identified as Refugio Torres, age 62, of Elberton, GA, was found in the wrecked car. Torres had been shot and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The bodies of Mills and Torres were taken to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies. The surviving victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Athens at 706-552-2309. Anonymous tips for the GBI can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
Once complete, the case file will be given to the Northern Judicial Circuit for review.