Lt. Tony Wooten of the Dawson County Sheriff's Office commented during an appearance on The Local Hour on WDUN NEWS TALK 550 Wednesday.
"I think at this time after talking with investigators (that) the two we believe are responsible for the deaths of Jennifer and Paul are in custody."
Lt. Wooten also commended a number of other law enforcement agencies that have assisted in the investigation while noting the help of a fellow lawman from a neighboring county: a Lumpkin sheriff's deputy who has his own helicopter.
"I'm very grateful to him," Wooten said. "He (came) up and assisted us right after the 911 call. He was up in the helicopter helping use look over the area by the river..."
The two suspects in the case - Jesse James Kilgore, 40, and Benjamin Kelly Mullinax, 27, both of Dawsonville - remain in jail without bond, awaiting their next court appearance, which is scheduled January 19.
Law enforcement officers continue to be amazed at the actions of Jennifer Budrawich in the final seconds of her life, calling 911 and frantically pleading for help from the banks of Amicalola River, while asking the killers "why?"
"I don't know that they (the killers) knew that she had the phone," Wooten said. "We may not ever know that but what he did was amazing, though. We've commented on that all week... how she had the sense to call 911 even in that situation and not only just call 911 but give us information that led to an area that we could search."
Budrawich and her husband, Paul, were in the area last weekend to visit her children who live with relatives in northeast Georgia. Kilgore is Jennifer's stepfather and is also the father of one of her children.
Investigators are still not releasing information on a possible motive for the murders.
Benjiman Kelly Mullinax
Jesse James Kilgore
http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/12/225728