THOMASVILLE —Eddie Lee Myrick Sr. was described as a hard-working, church-going man who would do anything for anybody.

On Wednesday night, Myrick’s 30-year-old son, a former corrections officer, was arrested and charged with murdering him.

Thomas County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded about 8 p.m. Wednesday to a report of gunshots on Groover Street in Ochlocknee. Witnesses told officers someone had been shot behind a house at 1072 Groover.

The accused, Demetrius Antonio Myrick, a Thomasville resident, was at the residence.

“EMS (emergency medical service) tried to treat the victim there,” said Lt. Tim Watkins, sheriff’s office chief investigator.

Myrick was transported to Archbold Memorial Hospital, where he died.

He was shot once in the face. Family members witnessed the shooting.

A handgun believed to be the murder weapon was retrieved Thursday from the back yard of the Myrick home. Ownership of the firearm has not been established.

Watkins said the Myrick men had been arguing about a car and motor in the father’s front yard.

“He wanted the son to move the car,” the officer explained.

Travis Davis, who lives near the Myrick residence, said he had just sat down to dinner when his nephew ran in, shouting that Myrick had been shot.

Davis, who owns George’s IGA in Ochlocknee, has known the victim all his life.

“When we were growing up, he was an athletic person. We were amazed at his body build,” Davis, 54, said.

The suspect was a customer at Davis’ business Wednesday morning. He bought fruit.

Davis said the suspect is a talented artist.

The elder Myrick, he said, would do anything he could for anyone.

“He was a church-going man. He had a fairly large family. I never heard anything bad abut him,” Davis said.

The suspect worked as a corrections officer at Thomas County Prison for seven months in 1997.

“He was dismissed,” said Mike Stephenson, Thomas County manager.

Myrick applied for a job at the prison in April. He was not rehired.

Capt. John Richards, sheriff’s office chief of operations, said Thomasville police, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents and Thomas County/Thomasville Narcotics/Vice Division agents assisted sheriff’s officers in the search for the murder weapon.

The search was hampered Wednesday night by rain, wind and lightning.

“Darkness with the storm, it was difficult to do our job thoroughly,” Richards explained.

Lawmen worked into early morning hours Thursday. Later in the morning, they regrouped.

“We had a brief meeting on what we wanted to accomplish and accomplished it,” Richards said.

Raiford Long has known Myrick for 30 or 40 years.

The victim, who worked in pulpwood, was considered a hard worker, said Long, a former Ochlocknee mayor.

Long said a shooting death such as in the Myrick family is something one hears about happening in other places.

“That’s a real tragedy to happen in our community. We pride ourselves in having a nice little town. It hurts when something like this happens,” Long said.



Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 220.