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March 4, 2026
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Chattooga County Man Sentenced to Life in Prison Following Jury Conviction

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A Chattooga County man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted by a jury on multiple felony charges involving a minor family member.

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February 4, 2026
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LaFayette Man Sentenced to 65 Years After Conviction on Child Molestation and Privacy Charges

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A Walker County jury has convicted Michael Forker, a 74-year-old man from LaFayette, on charges of Child Molestation, Sexual Exploitation of Children, and five counts of Invasion of Privacy. Following the verdict on December 3, 2025, Forker was sentenced by Lookout Mountain Superior Court Chief Judge Brian House to 65 years in prison, with 58 years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections.

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January 8, 2026
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Four Convicted in Walker County Murder Case, Sentenced to Life in Prison

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Four defendants have been convicted and sentenced to life in prison following a deadly shooting that occurred in Walker County in 2024.

A Walker County jury found Marcus Allen Chambers, James Logan Darty, Kayla Michelle McClure, and Brayden Niri Whatley guilty on multiple charges, including Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, Criminal Attempt to Commit Armed Robbery, and Aggravated Assault after a six-day trial before Superior Court Judge Chris Arnt.

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November 27, 2025
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Death First Ruled Suicide Now Determined Murder; Payne Sentenced to Life

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Nearly nine years after a death first ruled a suicide, a Walker County jury has convicted Marshall Payne of malice and felony murder in the 2016 shooting of Donald Edward Fickey Jr. Investigators originally accepted Payne’s account that the shotgun discharged accidentally, but the case was reopened in 2023 after a medical examiner reversed the ruling. New witness statements, evidence of violence, and testimony about tensions between Payne and the victim led prosecutors to pursue charges. After a week-long trial, jurors deliberated less than an hour before returning guilty verdicts. Payne has now been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.