Richmond County authorities have announced arrests in the county’s two weekend murders.
Deatoryin Ottley, 21, has been charged with murder, criminal attempted armed robbery and weapon possession in connection with the homicide that occurred early Sunday on the 3600 block of Meadowgrove Drive. He’s being held in the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.
The gunfire happened around 12:35 a.m. Sunday on the 3600 block of Meadowgrove Drive, killing 18-year-old Jaylen Nairne of Augusta. Nairne was rushed to University Hospital’s ER, but was pronounced dead, Coroner Mark Bowen said.
Responding deputies on Maedowgrove Drive also found 18-year-old Brice Fountain, who had been shot at least once. He resides on the street. Fountain was transported to Augusta University Medical Center by ambulance, but authorities did not release his condition. He has a 2020 arrest for possession of a firearm by a person under 18, a misdemeanor charge that remains pending.
As far as a motive, authorities say that Nairne was at the home of Fountain with Ottley to rob Fountain of a gun. But Fountain shot Nairne in a gunfight, killing the teen.
Since Ottley was with Nairne in the commission of a crime when his partner was killed, Ottley is now charged in the murder.
An arrest was also made in an unrelated homicide on the 1700 Block of Walton Way that killed 59-year-old Dan Bates Sr. of Augusta. Investigators have arrested 58-year-old Joel Van Buren Ferguson and charged him with murder.
A Richmond County deputy was flagged down at 4:10 a.m. Sunday in reference to an assault on the 1700 block of Walton Way. Deputies arrived on scene and located Bates, who had been struck at least once with an unknown object.
EMS arrived and CPR was attempted by responding deputies and EMS. The victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 4:32 a.m. Sunday.
The suspect, Ferguson, has an extensive past of burglaries and theft in Richmond County that led to long stays in prison.
The sheriff’s office did not release motives, but the charges against Ottley suggest robbery played a part in the killing.
Greg Rickabaugh is the Jail Report Contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at greg.rickabaugh@theaugustapress.com.
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