After more than 40 years, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has charged a homeless Augusta man with murder in relation to a 1982 cold case.
Jeffrey Deon Mickens, 58, of Augusta, has been charged with the murder of Betty Jo Lackey, armed robbery of a business, and possession of a firearm during a crime
Richmond County investigators interviewed Mickens on Thursday in reference to a cold case homicide on May 27, 1982 at B.J. Designs T. Shirtery Shack on Wrightsboro Road, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Investigators were able to develop the required probable cause to obtain warrants on Mickens for the murder of Betty Jo Lackey, 34, of Augusta, who died after being shot at least once on May 27, 1982 during an armed robbery at the business, according to the release.
Mickens is currently in custody at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center, according to the sheriff’s office. The investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released.