Son Suspected of Father's Murder Drives to Sheriff's Office Parking Lot

Monday evening, shortly after Tony Connely, 58, died of multiple gunshot wounds at his Oakfield Drive home and his son Brandon Lavon Connely was identified by a family member as the shooter , Brandon Connely drove to the Bulloch County parking lot. Sheriff's Office. That's where he was arrested.

Sheriff Noel Brown explained this during a news conference he and Capt. Todd Hutchens, chief of the BCSO Criminal Investigation Division, held Tuesday afternoon in the jail courtroom. The sheriff's office reportedly charges the younger Connely, who turns 24 this month, with intentional murder, felony murder, aggravated assault with intent to commit murder by means of a handgun, and battery. aggravated and four counts of possession of a firearm in the commission. of a crime, Hutchens announced.

Shortly after 7:20 p.m. Monday, BCSO deputies were called to a home on Oakfield Drive, a residential loop off Lakeview Road in north Statesboro. Officers found “a deceased black male lying on the ground near the home with multiple gunshot wounds,” Brown said.

Although Bulloch County EMS was among the responding agencies, Tony Connely was pronounced dead at the scene, as confirmed by Hutchens and County Coroner Richard Pylant. As reported Monday evening, the victim's wife had run to a neighbor's house, screaming frantically that her husband had been shot, and the neighbor called 911, bringing authorities to the Connely home.

There, a family member had “identified the subject who had died and also indicated who was responsible,” Brown told reporters Tuesday.

“That’s when we searched for a certain vehicle, and Brandon Connely was found in our sheriff’s office parking lot shortly after,” the sheriff said. “So I think, if I'm right, maybe around 8 p.m., or 8 p.m., he pulled into this parking lot and one of our K-9 units arrested him, along with others deputies. Statesboro police also assisted the Georgia State Patrol on Monday….

He also noted that Bulloch County Fire Department units and EMS assisted in the response.

“I want to thank everyone for their involvement,” Brown said. “Our prayers and thoughts are with the family as the investigation is ongoing at this time.”

Hutchens, who gave further details to news agencies, said “a domestic dispute that was sort of an ongoing thing” had “come to a head” on Monday “and unfortunately led to the death of Mr. Tony Connely “.

Investigators identified a 9mm handgun left at the scene as the one used in the shooting. When asked if the gun belonged to the suspect or someone else, Hutchens said determining who it belonged to was part of the investigation. The sheriff's office had launched a search through the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Connely did not have a defense attorney identified at Tuesday's news conference, and no proceedings had yet been initiated to set or deny bond. Hutchens said an initial court appearance was likely Wednesday.

People close to the family told the Statesboro Herald that Brandon was originally a foster child and was adopted by the Connelys.

Past arrests

According to the sheriff's office and jail records, he was arrested in March 2018 for misdemeanor domestic violence/battery when he was 17 years old. The BCSO incident report's account said he punched his sister in the face. As part of a negotiated plea agreement, the domestic violence charge was “nol prossed,” or dismissed, and a “nolo,” or no contest plea, was entered for a simple battery charge. He was then sentenced to 12 months of probation, with a fine and fees totaling $988 and required to enroll in an anger management program, according to Bulloch County state court records.

In November 2021, Brandon Connely was arrested by Statesboro Police on a misdemeanor charge of simple battery of a person 65 years of age or older. The arrest warrant, dated July 16, 2020, alleged that during a verbal argument he punched a 77-year-old neighbor in the face with his fist, causing the older man to fall, at an address on North Main Street . But in reference to a treatment plan from Pineland Mental Health, the county attorney decided to place the case on the death docket in July 2022, and the charge was dismissed in September 2023.

The Sheriff's Office had previously responded to the Connelys' speech due to some internal issues, including an occasion where the conflict took place between Brandon and Tony Connely, but that happened “within the last few years” and not recently , Hutchens said.

He also asked for prayers for the Connely family and everyone affected by what he called “a very traumatic situation in every way.”