Victim in critical condition after being hit in head with hatchet by Moultrie man, GBI says

The following was taken from a press release distributed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on December 6, 2023:

COLQUITT COUNTY, Ga. – The GBI has arrested and charged Jerry Benford, age 61, of Moultrie, with aggravated assault. On Monday, December 4, 2023, at around 10:55 a.m., the Moultrie Police Department requested the GBI to assist with the investigation. 

The investigation determined that a dispute occurred between Benford and the victim in the 900 block of 8th Avenue Southeast in Moultrie. During the fight, Benford grabbed a hatchet and hit the victim in the head with it. The victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. 

Benford is currently in custody at the Colquitt County Jail. 

This case is active and ongoing and anyone with information on this case is asked to call the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Thomasville at 229-225-4090. Once complete, this case file will be turned over to the Colquitt County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.