The man wanted for felony murder in a shooting Sunday in Stephens County is now jailed in Toccoa.
Asa Wilbanks, 27, of Hayes Wilbanks Road in Toccoa turned himself in Thursday night after four days at large.
“Yesterday afternoon, Asa Wilbanks’ father called and said his son wanted to give himself up,” said Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley on Friday. “Last night about 9:30, we were called to the home of his mother, where we arrested Asa Wilbanks without incident.”
The weekend shooting that resulted in the death of Mathew Brian Shirley, 28, of Franklin County, occurred just before 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, at a home on Hayes Wilbanks Road.
Wilbanks currently is charged with murder, aggravated assault and a hold for the Georgia Department of Pardons and Parole. He is being held without bond at this time.
“We’re thankful that he finally voluntarily gave himself up,” Shirley said. “He was taken to the Stephens County Jail and booked in for felony murder.”
Through area media outlets, Shirley had appealed to Wilbanks to give himself up. He also had asked the public to contact law enforcement with information about Wilbanks’ location.
“We would like to thank all the folks that called in tips on this while we were trying to locate Mr. Wilbanks,” Shirley said. “We would also like to thank our partners in the Carolinas, as well as Franklin and Hart counties, who have been working closely with my deputies, investigators and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in concluding this part of the investigation. The investigation is continuing as witnesses are still to be interviewed and we await the autopsy results from the crime lab to further the investigation.”
Shirley said the timing of the crime was especially difficult.
“This was a tragedy that occurred right before Christmas and our prayers go out to the Brian Shirley family of Hart County,” Shirley said.
