Anthony Dewitt Long

DALTON, Ga. — A Whitfield County woman who was arrested in May after leading authorities to the shallow grave of her girlfriend who had been missing for more than a year was indicted by the grand jury for concealing the death of another and four counts of making a false statement.

All of the indictments against Amy Gale Duckett are felonies.

According to the indictments, Duckett met several times with Detective Chris Guay of the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office after Christine Medlin was reported missing by her mother in March of 2017. The two met on March 28, April 17 and June 16 in 2017, and the indictments say Duckett “did knowingly and willfully conceal the material fact that Christine Medlin was deceased by lying to and misleading” Guay.

Duckett, of 3767 Freeman Springs Road in Rocky Face, led investigators to the shallow grave at 170 Novella Drive in May of this year after being described by officials as a “person of interest” throughout the investigation. Medlin had been reported missing by her mother, who lives in Tennessee, on March 16, 2017.

One of the indictments says Duckett on March 17, 2017, made a false statement that Medlin “was alive and present at the residence of said accused …”

Capt. Paul Woods with the sheriff’s office said he is still waiting on Medlin’s autopsy report from the state crime lab on the cause of death. Dependent on that report, further charges could be made against Duckett.

Medlin’s body was discovered wrapped in carpet and white plastic wrap with a tarp lining the grave and covering the body.

Duckett’s son, Kurt Emmett Duckett, was also indicted for concealing the death of another.

In other indictments:

• A Cleveland, Tennessee, man, who according to an incident report battered his girlfriend with bruises, scratches and knots over a large portion of her body, was indicted on multiple charges, including kidnapping with bodily injury and aggravated assault.

Dennis Ray Best, 48, of 973 Gaut St. N.E.-3, also faces charges of false imprisonment and three counts of battery from an incident in January.

According to an incident report from the Dalton Police Department, Best’s girlfriend snuck out of Best’s tattoo shop after a night in which she alleged Best “slapped, hit and kicked her” and grabbed her by her hair and slammed her head into a sheetrock wall.

She said Best barred the door and wouldn’t allow her to leave, but she eventually snuck out of the business after Best fell asleep. Once at Hamilton Medical Center, authorities documented her “face was covered in red and purple bruises. Her neck, arms and hands also had multiple red and purple bruises, as well as red scratches.” The officer also noted her legs “had bruises and red marks, almost like her skin had been worn off as if she had been dragged.” There was also a “large, inflamed knot on her lower back” as well as bruises and scratches. There were also red marks on her sides and stomach “as if she had been slapped and the blood had settled under the skin.”

Best has been in custody at the county jail without bond since his arrest in May. He is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on Monday.

• Anthony Dewitt Long, of Powder Springs, was indicted for rape, aggravated assault, battery, simple battery and two counts of obstruction of a law enforcement officer for an incident in July of last year.

According to a Dalton Police Department incident report, police responded to a call concerning a rape and found a woman who “had blood all over her face, arms and hands.” She also “had a swollen and bruised eye and knots all over her forehead” and her hair was matted with blood. Officers found Long in the residence and arrested him.