From Staff Reports
A Bleckley County jury has returned a partial verdict in the murder trial of Royheem Deeds after four days of deliberations, finding him guilty on one charge but unable to agree on the others.
Deeds was convicted of possession of a firearm by a first offender. When it came to the more serious charges — including malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault on a peace officer — jurors said they simply could not reach a unanimous decision.
They told Judge Sarah Wall that continuing to deliberate would not change that. At that point, a mistrial was declared on those charges.
The firearm conviction still stands, and Deeds has not yet been sentenced.
There was also a moment earlier Friday when prosecutors tried to have a juror removed, raising concerns about past arrest history. The judge denied that request, and the trial continued as is.
This case goes back to August 16, 2016, when Eastman Police Officer Tim Smith was shot and killed while responding to a call about a suspicious person.
Investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Smith arrived near the intersection of Smith and Main Street, got out of his patrol car, and encountered a man. That’s when, they say, he was shot. Smith returned fire before the suspect ran from the scene.
He was taken to the hospital but did not survive.
Deeds was later identified as the suspect, with investigators alleging the shooting was an ambush.
Now, nearly ten years later, the case remains unresolved on its most serious charges. Prosecutors must decide whether to try those counts again, while Deeds awaits sentencing on the firearm conviction.
The Dodge County News contributed to this story.
Officer Tim Smith/Internet Photo
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