WEST POINT, Ga – A man suspected in a multi-state killing spree is dead and his alleged accomplice has surrendered after a standoff at a Troup County motel, reports indicate.
William Boyette died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and Mary Craig Rice surrendered shortly before 6 pm, according to Troup County Deputy Stewart Smith.
On Monday afternoon, Boyette and Rice locked themselves down in the motel, said Smith, who added Georgia State Patrol SWAT teams were called in to assist.
An attempted murder Monday morning marked the third attack over the last week in a spree that crossed state lines and left three women dead and one critically injured.
ECSO deputies responded to a Pensacola address around 6:30 a.m. CT Monday to reports of a home invasion and vehicle theft. The mother of Kayla Crocker went to Crocker's house to check on her after the young mother didn't show up for work and found Crocker with a gunshot wound. Her 2-year-old son was reportedly unharmed.
Crocker, 28, was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and her vehicle, a white Chevrolet Cobalt, was stolen from the residence. Authorities confirmed via video surveillance that Boyette and Rice took the stolen vehicle to a Shell gas station only minutes later and ate at a nearby Hardee’s.
Crocker died late Tuesday evening, according to Pensacola police.
“What we are experiencing is a running nightmare, quite honestly,” ECSO Chief Deputy Chip Simmons said during a Monday press conference. “In short we have a killer, he is in our midst … everyone, and I mean everyone, should be aware of this, should be aware of what they look like.”
Rice had previously been considered a person of interest in the attacks, but was upgraded to an official suspect Monday afternoon. Authorities believe Rice had multiple opportunities to flee or ask for help, and was seen entering stores on her own.
The small communities along the Florida Panhandle have been on high alert for a week, when the pair’s alleged crime spree began. Two bodies were found at the Emerald Sands Inn in Milton on Jan. 31. One of the victims, 30-year-old Alicia Greer, was in a relationship with Boyette, but police have said all consequent victims have no known connection to the suspect. The second victim in that attack was identified as Jacqueline Jeanette Moore, 39.
The pair then allegedly went to Lillian, Ala., where authorities say they killed Peggy Broz and stole her vehicle Friday morning. The pair is believed to have then returned to the Pensacola area.
Boyette has a drug trafficking history, according to police, including heavy use of the drug Spice. Users have been known to stay awake for several days at a time, Morgan said.
