A Chattooga County jury has found Thomas Nelson Tucker Jr., 64, of Menlo, guilty on multiple felony charges, including three counts of aggravated assault, stemming from a December 2022 shooting incident into an occupied mobile home. Following the verdict, Tucker was sentenced as a recidivist to 25 years with 17 years to serve in state prison, followed by three years of probation.

The conviction arises from a violent episode on December 22, 2022, when Tucker fired multiple rounds into a mobile home on Reece Street, which was occupied by three individuals. The incident began as a domestic dispute between Tucker and his former girlfriend that escalated into violence.

According to testimony, after the initial argument, Tucker returned to the residence, honked his horn, and when another occupant stepped outside, he brandished a handgun. The occupant quickly retreated indoors, prompting Tucker to discharge multiple shots into the mobile home. While remarkably no one was physically injured, bullets penetrated the living area where the three occupants were present.

Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the scene, and the victims quickly identified Tucker as the shooter. A “be on the lookout” (BOLO) was issued for Tucker, and deputies subsequently located and arrested him at his residence.

The investigation, led by Sheriff’s Investigator Wendell Flood, included the execution of a search warrant at Tucker’s property. This led to the recovery of a black 9-millimeter handgun hidden under a nightstand and a 9-millimeter casing found lodged under the driver’s seat of Tucker’s truck. Evidence from the scene and the search was submitted to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) crime lab for analysis.

During the two-day trial, presided over by Judge Melissa Hise, the prosecution presented testimony from the three victims, two Chattooga County deputies, and a GBI firearms examiner. The jury deliberated for just over an hour before returning guilty verdicts on all counts, which also included possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Assistant District Attorney Michael E. Harty, a recent addition to the District Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case. District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller commended Harty’s work, stating, “ADA Harty has quickly adopted our tough-on-crime approach and is already doing great things to protect our communities and I want to tip my cap to him and our great Chattooga team.”

Fuller further emphasized the gravity of the sentence, noting, “In some parts of the United States, you’re lucky to see a defendant get 17 years in prison even when a cold-blooded murder happens. Not in Northwest Georgia. You put bullets down range and put innocent lives in jeopardy, you can trust you are going to prison for a looooooong time.” He also praised the Chattooga County Sheriff’s team: “Sheriff Mark Schrader’s team doesn’t tolerate violence in Chattooga County — and neither does mine.”

The prosecution team received support from victim advocates Jordan Thomasson and Donna Howell, administrative assistants Annabelle Carter and Cara Parris, and Investigator Daniel Thacker.