Georgia Supreme Court upholds Floyd County murder conviction

Georgia Supreme Court upholds Floyd County murder conviction

May 17, 2021–7:12 p.m.

GEORGIA SUPREME COURT

The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of a man found guilty of murdering a Floyd County couple.

Emerson Mack Abbott Jr. is serving two consecutive sentences of life without the possibility of parole.

He was convicted in April of 2018 in the shooting deaths of James and Myra Reeves at the couple’s home on Terhune Road on January 23, 2015.

In the appeal, Abbott’s attorney contended that the trial court erred in allowing a witness to testify at trial while under the influence of alcohol.

The State Supreme Court found there was no evidence that the witness was in any way impaired at the time she testified.

Abbott also claimed the trial court erred in admitting evidence of a prior act of theft.

The State Supreme Court found no abuse of discretion in the admission of this evidence.

The appeal also contended that the state failed to disclose an agreement with a witness regarding his trial testimony.

The justices ruled in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, the appellant’s assertion that the State made a deal with the witness amounts to nothing more than speculation.

All justices concurred in upholding the conviction.

You can read the opinion HERE