Neither suspect or motive known in Turner County murders
By
Posted 12:12PM on Monday, April 1, 2002
REBECCA - Authorities in south Georgia do not want to comment on a suspect or a possible motive in the deaths of the Turner County tax assessor and his family. <br>
<br>
Fifty-one-year-old Tommy Joe Wideman, his 48-year-old wife Deborah Wheeler Wideman and their 20-year-old pregnant daughter Melissa were found inside their burning house early March 22. A motorist spotted the fire east of Rebecca and alerted authorities, who say the Widemans had been shot to death. <br>
<br>
Turner County Sheriff Randy Kendrick says the slayings do not appear to have been random but he won't discuss a possible motive. He says the killer apparently set the fire to destroy evidence. <br>
<br>
The sheriff says Melissa Wideman and her boyfriend had each filed complaints against each other after angry arguments, but he said he could not comment on whether those incidents might be related to the killings.