Southeast
Mystery surrounds Georgia deaths of twin brothers found shot on mountain
Georgia brothers found dead on mountain
Family members suspect foul play in the deaths of twin brothers, Naazir and Qaadir Lewis, found shot to death atop Bell Mountain in Georgia, FOX 5 Atlanta reports.
A volunteer firefighter has been charged with misdemeanor obstruction while the investigation into the deaths of two Georgia teenagers continues.
Scott Kerlin, 42, is a Towns County volunteer firefighter “who took photos of the Lewis twins’ death scene and shared them publicly,” the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said in a Tuesday update.
The family of twin Georgia brothers, Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis, 19, do not believe the two died of murder-suicide, as authorities say.
The brothers, from Gwinnett County, Georgia, were found dead at the top of Bell Mountain by hikers on March 8, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said in a media release.
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A photo from when twin brothers Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis were babies. (GoFundMe)
“Both men were found with gunshot wounds,” the statement said. “The preliminary investigation reveals the deaths to be a murder suicide.”
A Sunday update said, “A GBI medical examiner has completed the autopsies, but the official ME ruling and results are pending additional forensic tests.” The agency is assisting the Towns County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation.
“My nephews wouldn’t do this,” their aunt, Yasmine Brawner, said on a GoFundMe page to assist the family with memorial expenses. “They came from a family of love, and twins wanted so much for their future, they had dreams of starting their very own clothing line.”
She added, “Something happened at Bell mountain,” calling for further investigation.
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Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis, 19, were found dead with gunshot wounds about two hours from where they lived. (GoFundMe)
The twins were scheduled to fly to Boston on March 7 to visit friends, but they never made their flight out of Atlanta, family members told local FOX 5. The TV station reported the teenagers still had their airline tickets in their wallets when they were found dead.
The family added that the boys had never visited the area where they were found, which is about a two-hour drive from where they lived in Lawrenceville.
The family rejects investigators’ preliminary findings that the boys died of murder-suicide. (GoFundMe)
“They’re very protective of each other. They love each other,” their uncle, Rahim Brawner told WXIA-TV. “They’re like inseparable. I couldn’t imagine them hurting each other because I’ve never seen them get into a fistfight before.”
“How did they end up out in the mountains?” Brawner questioned. “They don’t hike out there, they’ve never been out there. They don’t know anything about Hiawassee, Georgia. They never even heard of Bell Mountain, so how did they end up right there?”
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The former United States attorney who was found dead over the weekend had suffered from a “longstanding medical issue,” Fox News has learned.
The body of Jessica D. Aber, 43, was discovered at an Alexandria, Virginia, residence on Saturday. Authorities did not release details about her death, but a family friend told Fox News on Sunday that the decedent suffered from a chronic medical condition.
“Police believe the death was the result of a longstanding medical issue,” the source said.
The Alexandria Police Department (APD) wrote on Saturday that it had received a call about an “unresponsive woman” at around 9:18 a.m. that morning.
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Jessica Aber, seen here in 2023, resigned from her position on Jan. 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Tom Brenner)
“As a matter of protocol, an investigation is underway surrounding the circumstances of her death,” the APD’s statement read. “The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia will determine the cause and manner of death.”
Aber worked as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2021 to 2025, having been appointed by former President Joe Biden. She stepped down from her position on Jan. 20, the same day that President Donald Trump took office, and called her role “an honor beyond measure” in her resignation letter.
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Jessica D. Aber, 43, was found dead on Mar. 22. (U.S. Department of Justice Archives)
“I am deeply grateful to senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and to President Biden for the opportunity to lead this office and to Attorney General Garland for his steadfast leadership,” the attorney wrote. “I am proud of the work we have done with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to enforce the law and build community trust.”
In a statement posted on X Saturday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi expressed her condolences over Aber’s death.
“The loss of Jessica Aber, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, is deeply tragic,” Bondi wrote. “Our hearts and prayers go out to her family and friends during this profoundly difficult time.”
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Department of Justice on December 6, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Authorities are actively investigating Aber’s death.
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Southeast
Kentucky sheriff who allegedly gunned down judge in chambers plans insanity defense: attorney
The attorney for former Letcher County, Kentucky Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines is planning to argue that his client is not culpable for the murder of District Judge Kevin Mullins by way of insanity, court records show.
Stines, 43, “intends to present expert evidence relating to a mental disease or defect or mental condition bearing on the issue of guilt and punishment,” according to a filing by attorney Jeremy Bartley.
The filing also says that Stines “intends to present a defense of insanity, as well as a defense of extreme emotional disturbance.”
Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines can be seen pointing his gun at District Court Judge Kevin Mullins. (Letcher County Handout)
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Stines allegedly gunned down Mullins, 54, in Mullins’ chambers on Sept. 19. The shooting was caught on video and shows Mullins attempting to take cover behind his desk as Stines calmly opens fire.
Stines has been indicted on one count of murder of a public official. He pleaded not guilty in November.
The men were reportedly friends for two decades before Mullins’ death.
This booking photo provided by Leslie County Detention Center in Kentucky on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, shows Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines. (Leslie County Detention Center via AP)
The motive for the alleged crime remains unclear.
Stines had been deposed in a civil lawsuit related to sexual abuse in the same month as the shooting, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported.
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Former Letcher County deputy Ben Fields was convicted in 2021 of repeatedly sexually assaulting a woman in the same chambers where the shooting happened. The woman was on house arrest at the time, and a court concluded that Fields forced the sexual favors in exchange for keeping the woman out of jail.
Stines was accused in the suit of “deliberate indifference in failing to adequately train and supervise” Fields.
The civil litigation is pending.
Defense attorney Jeremy Bartley asked questions of KSP Detective Clayton Stamper at Shawn “Mickey” Stines preliminary hearing at Morgan County District Court. Oct. 1, 2024. (Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Further, the Kentucky State Police confirmed for the Daily Mail that it is investigating a different sex scandal, and that before the shooting, Stines and Mullins looked at each other’s cell phones.
During a preliminary hearing in October, it was revealed that inside the judge’s chambers, Stines made calls from his phone and Mullins’ phone. Kentucky State Police Detective Clayton Stamper testified that the calls were to Stines’ daughter, FOX 56 reported.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Stines’ attorney and prosecutor Jackie Steele for comment.
Read the court filing here: Mobile users click here
Fox News’ Christina Coulter contributed to this report.
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A dentist practicing in St. Simons Island, Georgia, is accused of fatally shooting her boyfriend in a home in Gainesville, a suburban town northeast of Atlanta.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office has charged Suzanne Renee Mericle, 61, with murder, tampering with evidence, aggravated assault against a spouse or family member, possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime, obstruction or resisting, driving under the influence and a traffic-related charge.
Authorities with the sheriff’s office initially responded to a home off of Bayridge Drive in Gainesville at approximately 1:15 a.m. on March 8.
Deputies located an unresponsive man, later identified as 68-year-old David Barron, in a bedroom. He had been shot in the torso, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Suzanne Mericle, owner of Mericle Dentistry in St. Simons Island, Georgia, is charged with murder. (Facebook/ Mericle Dentistry)
Officials transported Barron to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Mericle is accused of shooting Barron with a handgun.
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Suzanne Mericle is accused of fatally shooting her boyfriend in a Gainesville, Georgia, home. (Hall County Sheriff’s Office)
“The two were in a relationship and lived together at the residence. Mericle was at home when the deputies arrived,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release posted to Facebook.
Mericle owns a dental practice in the wealthy, coastal Georgia town of St. Simons Island, a popular vacation destination among Georgia locals and out-of-state visitors alike. Mericle Dentistry has a 4.8-star rating on Google with 180 reviews, and the practice’s slogan is, “Anything is possible with a Miracle.”
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Mericle Dentistry in St. Simons Island, Georgia, has glowing reviews on Google. (Google Maps)
“I missed seeing Suzan [sic] but there was a super nice male Dr there and he gave me options for fixing a front tooth that always chips,” one patient wrote around the time of Mericle’s arrest.
Other patients posted glowing reviews of Mericle, saying she makes guests “feel very comfortable and at ease,” and describing the business owner as “so friendly and efficient.”
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Mericle owned a dental practice in the wealthy, coastal Georgia town of St. Simons Island, a popular vacation destination.
“Suzanne and I have known each other for many years!” one reviewer wrote. “She was my family’s dentist for many years. I also had the privilege of providing pediatric care for her children. She is also a dear friend. Like me Suzanne has been a single mom, very dedicated to her children and her profession. She is a wonderful woman whom I admire and respect. We love to be at the beach!”
A number of other reviews describe Mericle as friendly and professional.
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Mericle is being held without bond in Hall County. (Facebook/ Mericle Dentistry)
Mericle is being held without bond in Hall County. The case remains under investigation.
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