Xavier White, age 32, was arrested on July 9, 2022, in connection with the death of Napoleon Ponder, age 51. He was taken into custody without incident after a Valdosta woman called 911 in regards to an unknown man being on her property.
From the Valdosta Police Department:
On June 29, 2022, at approximately 3:42 pm., Valdosta Police Officers, Detectives, and Crime Scene Technicians, began investigating a report of a missing person. Family members of Napoleon Ponder reported that they had not seen or heard from him for approximately one day. Information received from Ponder’s family, led officers to a residence in the 100 block of Baisden Avenue. During a search of the residence, detectives found Ponder’s body with apparent trauma to his body. Ponder
was pronounced deceased on the scene.
Through investigation, detectives have identified Xavier Cornelius White as the person responsible for Ponder’s death. Detectives have obtained arrest warrants for White for felony murder and aggravted assault. It has been determined that White and Ponder knew each other, and this is an isolated incident.
On July 9, 2022, at approximately 4:25 pm., Valdosta Police Officers responded to a residence in the 1500 block of North Lee Street. A citizen called E911 to report that an unknown male subject was in her shed, located in her backyard. Officers surrounded the shed and gave verbal commands to the subject inside to come out. Through the window, officers immediately recognized that the male inside was Xavier White. White cooperated with officers and was taken into custody without incident.
White was transported to Lowndes County Jail.
“I am proud of the non-stop work by our officers and detectives to find the offender. I also want to thank the community for providing tips that helped us locate him and take him into custody without incident.” Said Chief Leslie Manahan