Debbie Collier’s son, Jeffrey Bearden, wants Habersham County Sheriff Joy Terrell to resign over investigation

The son of Debbie Collier, the woman found dead and severely burned in a Georgia ravine in September, is calling for the sheriff in charge of investigating her death to resign after saying the policeman “laughed” at him during a phone call last week.

“I want him to quit, sure,” Jeffrey Bearden told The Daily Beast on Monday. “He ignored my fears and made fun of me. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without my mother, and I can’t let another victim’s family go through what I went through over the phone [Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell]. “

Bearden said that last Wednesday, after trying to get a detective to handle his mother’s case, he spoke to Terrell about concerns he had about potential leaks from the sheriff’s department to the press. He told the Daily Beast he just wanted an update on the case.

Authorities say Collier, 59, was last seen alive at a Family Dollar store on September 10 buying a rag and a refillable lighter. Shortly thereafter, Collier’s daughter Amanda Bearden said she received nearly $2,400 in Venmo from her mother with the cryptic message: “They won’t let me go I love you, there’s a key to the house in the blue flower vase by a door.”

The next day, Collier was found in a narrow valley about an hour from her home in Athens, Georgia. After six weeks of an investigation that sparked national interest, authorities were reticent about the case – along with noting that they did not believe it was a kidnapping or suicide.

multiple portsHowever, sources last week cited reports that investigators are now questioning whether Collier’s death was actually a murder, as it was supposed to. according to Now HabershamHowever, those same sources revealed details about how Collier died – although the government medical examiner has not released a final autopsy report.

Bearden said that after seeing these “media leaks,” he contacted the mayor’s department to express his concerns and asked to be kept updated with information relevant to the investigation.

Bearden said in an October 27 email he sent to the department asking for a formal complaint, which was obtained by The Daily Beast.

Bearden said in a phone interview Monday that Terrell claimed when they spoke on October 26 that he had no knowledge of the leaks before making it clear that the press had a “right to free speech.” But while Bearden continued to express his frustration about the way information was being shared by the mayor’s department and that he had not received “any updates,” he said Terrell “started to laugh.”

“I had to ask him to stop. I told him I felt it was disrespectful to laugh at my circumstances,” Bearden said. “And when I started to go ahead about the leaks, he said to me, ‘I’m trying not to get attached to you. “

Collier’s son said he tried again to bring the conversation back to his mother’s case, which he said prompted Terrell to explain that his department “has a few staff” and that law enforcement sometimes doesn’t do the best job of communicating with the family.

“Then he started laughing again, at which point I finally stopped talking,” he added.

The phone call was so upsetting for Bearden—who had repeatedly demanded privacy from the public and justice for his mother—that he went so far as to attempt to file a complaint the next day.

“Unfortunately, the mayor-elect’s attitude, lack of understanding, and misconduct does not give me faith or confidence in their ability to deal with her ‘intentional and personal’ death,” Bearden said in the email to the vice president. Please let me know if you need any additional information regarding my application to file Formal complaint. I want to ensure this is done in a timely manner.”

On Monday, Bearden went even further, telling The Daily Beast that he wanted Terrell to leave his position due to his “unprofessional” behavior during their phone call.

In response to Bearden’s allegations, a spokesperson for the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office told The Daily Beast that the department “certainly sympathizes with the emotional tension it takes for the extended period of investigation into such a complex and unique case, which makes the family seek answers.”

“We can assure you that Sheriff Terrell, as well as all relevant members of the mayor’s office, have nothing but respect and understanding toward the family and that any misunderstanding regarding discussions regarding this issue is nothing more than a misunderstanding,” the spokesperson added.

“However, at the same time, it is our duty to exhaust every theory of what happened and deduce from a discovery based on facts and evidence rather than speculation and rumour. As has been stated, many times in the past, the scene involved in this case has yielded more questions than answers. Once all have been received Information requested, analyzed and evaluated, the mayor’s office will provide a full statement regarding the results of this investigation.”

However, Bearden said he was shocked to hear about the mayor’s department describing Wednesday’s phone call as a “misunderstanding.” He stressed that Terrell – whom he called the “laughing mayor” – had not contacted him or his family since the phone call in question.

“What is your definition of respect at this point?” He said. “At this point, my mother passed away. What we want to know now is what happened to her so that we can move on. So that we can do justice.”

He later added, “I just want [Terrell] to resign.”

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