BERRIEN CO – A Berrien County man has plead guilty prior to the trial of the shooting death and was sentenced to life in prison.

Release:

District Attorney Chase L. Studstill announces the entry of a guilty plea prior to the trial of Ray Webster Walker. “The entry of this plea brings an end to a long and hard fought battle for justice.” 57-year-old Walker was arrested on August 23, 2020, after an investigation by special agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations revealed that Walker had shot and killed Gene Griffin, a long time resident of Berrien County. According to law enforcement records and the indictment filed in this case, Walker was in a relationship with the sister of the surviving victim. On August 23, 2020, Walker came to the residence of Gene and Laquietta Griffin in Berrien County, and entered the home. Studstill stated that investigators believe Walker led the Griffins to believe he was there to discuss a resolution to a property dispute between his girlfriend and her sister Laquietta. After entering the home, he shot Gene Griffin as Mr. Griffin lay in his recliner. “But”, according to Studstill, “Walker made a critical mistake. He also accidentally shot himself in the arm.” Walker then threatened Laquietta Griffin and took her at gunpoint to his truck. Studstill stated that investigators believe he then brought LaquiettaGriffin back into the house and tried to stage the crime scene to make it appear as if he had shot and killed Gene Griffin in self defense.

Walker was sentenced On September 12, 2024, in Berrien County Superior Court to life in prison after entering guilty pleas to malice murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault and terroristic threats. Alapaha Judicial Circuit Chief Superior Court Clayton Tomlinson handed down the sentence after hearing testimony from mental health experts regarding the mental condition of Walker at the time of the murder.

District Attorney Studstill indicated that “an entry of a guilty but mentally ill plea does not result in a lighter sentence for a defendant. He will serve a life sentence in the Department of Corrections, but will receive mental health treatment during the course of his sentence. If he ever becomes eligible for parole, it will require not only the approval of a parole board, but of the Department of Behavioral Health as well.”

District Attorney Studstill went on to thank law enforcement officers with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department, Region 4 of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the team assigned to prosecute this case in his office. “This case had a number of complex legal issues and setbacks. It is a tribute to the dogged determination of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and my staff in bringing justice to Laquietta and the sons of the late Gene Griffin.”