Arrests made in deaths of Sumter mother, son

AMERICUS — Four suspects were jailed Monday after being arrested in connection to the murders of a Sumter County woman and her son Friday night.

Ruhemmeion King, 17, is charged with two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of arson. Qwinterrious Dodson, 22, and 28-year-old Reginald Mathis, both of Americus, are charged with theft by receiving stolen property, while a fourth suspect, Brandon Prince is charged with making false statements.

All four were arrested in connection with the murders of 54-year-old Bonnie Freeman, and her son, Dallas, 33, whose bodies were discovered Friday night when authorities arrived at the scene of a house fire at Bonnie Freeman’s residence on R.W. Jones Road in the Joyce Meyers Park Area, according to available reports.

Fire crews were dispatched to the home after 7 p.m. Friday and immediately contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation after firefighters noticed the injuries to the victims, who appeared to have been shot multiple times.

Sumter County Sheriff Pete Smith said it appears that Bonnie Freeman had returned to her residence around 5:30 p.m. and likely interrupted a robbery of the home. Smith said it also appeared that Dallas Freeman was already dead when his mother arrived at the scene.

Both victims were shot outside the residence and their bodies were dragged into the home before it was set on fire in an apparent attempt to cover up the crimes, according to Smith.

Several items taken in the robbery, including as television, tools, a burgundy 2008 Toyota Tundra belonging to Dallas Freeman and a gun safe have all been recovered.

Smith said the gun safe was the primary item targeted in the robbery, and that it appears the safe has been moved several times, but not opened.

“They moved it around, but they couldn’t get into it,” said Smith. “Everybody that touched it was a party to the crime.”

Smith said that because others may have touched the safe there could be more arrests in the case forthcoming.

Currently the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is working with investigators from the GBI, an arson investigation team, the Americus Police Department, and the Sumter County District Attorney’s Office, to gather more information.

“We’re working diligently to get some resolution to this case,” Smith said. “It’s one of the most serious crimes we’ve had (in Sumter County) in some time. It was a senseless murder.”

Officials are asking that anyone with information about the case to contact the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office at (229) 924-4094.