-
Hart County Sheriff Office emblem
A Hartwell man’s body was found fatally shot and hit by cars in the Bowman Highway roadway early Tuesday, according to Hart County Sheriff Mike Cleveland.
Cleveland said that the sheriff’s office received a call at about 1 a.m. concerning a vehicle striking a body in the roadway of Bowman Highway.
When first responders arrived about a quarter-mile north of the Hickory Crossing intersection, they found the body of Hartwell resident Delphonso Heard, 32.
“It appeared Heard had been shot prior to being struck by two separate vehicles,” Cleveland said in a release.
Cleveland said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is working with the sheriff’s office on the investigation and the agencies were conducting interviews Tuesday.
He said Heard’s death is being ruled a homicide.
“The tough part about this one — I mean nobody knew him. It’s not like he was a problem person, which is a good thing,” he said.
“We don’t know if it was personal, a drive-by — we just don’t know yet.”
Cleveland said it was unclear Tuesday whether the shooting had any ties to other recent violent crimes in the area.
“We have not found anything out to indicate that it’s gang-related at this time.”
The sheriff’s office is asking for the public’s help in the investigation.
“Somebody knows something,” Cleveland said.
Tips can be submitted to the Hart County Sheriff’s Office at 706-376-3114.
Anonymous tips can be provided to the GBI: 1-800-597-TIPS (8447).