Coroner addresses Jan. 22 storm rumors, confirms total of five Dougherty County deaths

ALBANY — January proved to be a deadly month for Albany after a tornado ravaged southern and eastern parts of the city, killing five people.

“Due to the mass devastation, it could have been worse,” Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler said Monday. “There ended up being only five fatalities as a result of the storm, with many more victims sustaining injuries. Four victims died immediately on the scene with one more dying a couple days later in the hospital.”

Persistent rumors of more Dougherty County deaths from the storm, however, are false, he said.

According to reports, James Mosley, 59, and his wife, Cathy Mosley, 59, of Paradise Village Mobile Home Park on the 600 block of Holly Drive, as well as Oscar Reyna, 39, also of Paradise Village, were found dead immediately following the storm.

Another fatality victim, Paul Freeman, 82, was found dead by search and rescue crews in his home on Newcomb Road in the aftermath of the storm.

The fifth victim, Patricia Ann Gohman, 77, of the 400 block of Holly Drive, died on Jan. 26 in the hospital after succumbing to injuries she sustained during the tornado.

“I have received several calls concerning the events surrounding the Jan. 22 storm,” Fowler said. “While speaking at the Albany Relief Concert held at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, I informed them about the initial call I received concerning the storm. I shared what was shared with me, and that was that there could be a possibility of as many as 70 deceased persons in the area. Some people perceived this to mean that there were actually 70 deceased persons as a result of the storm.

“I want to clarify this. There were only five fatalities, with many more victims sustaining injuries. I do apologize if anyone misunderstood my words Saturday evening.”

Fowler also addressed several other incorrect rumors that he said arose after the Jan. 22 storm.

“I also would like to take this opportunity to address several other rumors surrounding these events,” he told The Albany Herald. “There have been rumors about a baby being found inside a dryer as the parents perished in the storm. This is completely false. There was no baby found in a dryer. Additionally, there are no illegal immigrants being held in the morgue without identification. As of the present moment, all those that perished in the storm have been recovered and identified.”

Meanwhile, a missing person case continues for 2-year-old Detrez Green, who was reportedly separated from his family and disappeared near the Piney Wood Estates mobile home park during the Jan. 22 tornado. Five days of intense searching in the area yielded no results, and the case is now being handled by the Dougherty County Police Department, which has asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for help.

“In regards to the 2-year-old child, hundreds of man hours were put in to locate the child, and he is still missing,” Fowler said. “This, however, has been turned over to authorities for further investigation.”