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December 23, 2024
September 30, 2024

Man convicted of murdering father, setting house on fire to cover it up

Written by: E. George

Published September 30, 2024 @ 2:40 PM ET

Warning: The following story contains information regarding alleged physical violence.

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. – Only six days after Griffin Michael Leach was convicted of his father’s murder, he received a life sentence in prison without parole plus 35 years to be served consecutively. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office said Leach allegedly killed his father with a .38 special revolver they discovered inside his truck and then set the home ablaze in an attempt to cover up the crime.

On January 12, 2023, deputies responded to the Porter Road residence to assist with a fire call and found the house dangerously engulfed in growing flames. An investigation led to the discovery of a body in the master bedroom from which a .38 bullet was recovered.

While processing the scene, deputies observed Leach driving past the home multiple times, so they conducted a traffic stop. Leach allegedly claimed that his father had started the house fire and taken his own life, but they found the gun in his vehicle.

The sheriff’s office stated, “A .38 special revolver was recovered from the defendant’s truck. Forensic testing later showed that the bullet recovered from the victim’s body had been fired from the .38 special found in the defendant’s possession.”

Following the investigation, Leach was charged with aggravated assault, arson, concealing the death of another, felony murder, malice murder, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was convicted of those crimes on Thursday, September 12, 2024, and received his sentence on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.