A Cleveland man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend over the weekend.
According to a news release from Captain Rick Kelley with the White County Sheriff’s Office, Justin Scott Mayo, 35, of Cleveland came to the White County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, Nov. 4 around 2 p.m. and reported that his girlfriend was unresponsive at their house.
White County deputies along with EMS personnel immediately responded to 794 Stanley Nix Road, according to Kelley.
The release stated deputies entered the residence and found the victim Stephanie Ann Smith, 42, deceased in her bedroom.
According to the release, the victim had significant injuries and trauma to her body. The White County Sheriff’s Office along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation processed the scene, collected evidence and conducted numerous interviews.
Captain Kelley said during the investigation, deputies discovered that Mayo and the victim had been involved in a verbal altercation in Helen late Friday night.
The victim’s body was sent to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy. Kelley advised that Mayo has been charged with murder in Smith's death.
The investigation is continuing.
