CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to life in prison plus 35 years for his part in the murder and armed robbery of a White County man back in 2016.
A White County jury Tuesday afternoon returned the verdict against 30-year-old Fredrick Sauder. Sauder, along with Justin Edward Davis, was charged in connection with the death of 66-year-old Wayne Alexander of Cleveland on Aug. 10, 2016.
Superior Court Judge Stan Gunter sentenced Sauder to life in prison for the malice murder charge, plus 35 years for armed robbery and several merged counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The verdict came after seven days of jury selection and trial process, which saw more than 250 pieces of evidence submitted.
Enotah Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jeff Langley said most of those items were stolen from the victim’s home.
Langley also said Sauder, under Georgia statute, is not eligible for parole for 30 years, plus the extra 35 years will have to be considered.
After the verdict, Langley said he was “very pleased by the work of the White County Sheriff’s Office as well as the GBI... I would have to thank Clay Hammond with the sheriff's department and Special Agent Mike Walsingham, [who] did incredible work on this case. My staff did a phenomenal job in putting a pretty complicated case together.”
Justin Edward Davis, the other suspect, in this case, pleaded guilty earlier and is awaiting sentencing.
Follow this link to read a previous story about Sauder's arrest.
