Man named as driver in deadly drug deal
Published 9:44 pm Wednesday, February 20, 2019
CHATSWORTH, Ga. — The frantic voice of a man, identified by a caller to Murray County 911 as Stasha Fay Baggett’s stepfather, can be heard yelling, “They need to get here now!” following what the sheriff called a “botched drug deal” that led to the arrest of two people on felony murder and other charges.
Baggett, 30, died shortly after midnight on Feb. 13. Anthony James Clark, 27, of Dalton, and Jami Brooke Johnson, 20, whose booking report shows a Rossville address, are each charged with felony murder, robbery and possession of meth. Clark and Johnson were scheduled to have bond hearings on Wednesday but those hearings were continued until Feb. 27.
“I don’t know if she (Baggett) got run over or maybe struck a tree, but she was hanging onto the car as they were attempting to drive off,” Langford said.
Deputies found Baggett’s body in the driveway at 252 Red Cut Road in the northern part of the county. According to her obituary with Shawn Chapman Funeral Home, she is survived by three children.
The caller to 911 said she didn’t know what had happened because she was inside the residence at the time.
“My friend was here and she had a friend come over and he had somebody in the car with him and they walked outside and I heard this ka-jolt,” said a woman who identified herself as Brandi Thurman to the 911 operator. “And I came out here (unintelligible) and she is out in the middle of the driveway and there is blood everywhere.”
Thurman said Baggett had called her name before Thurman called 911, but by the time first responders arrived, Baggett was unresponsive.
“She was hollering for me at first and then now nothing,” she said,
Messages left for Thurman were not immediately returned on Wednesday.
“My nerves are like shaken,” Thurman said on the 911 call.
In response to a question, Thurman named Clark as the person who “hit her (Baggett) in the car.” Asked where Clark was, Thurman said, “I don’t know. He got out of the car and ran off into the woods.”
According to Langford, Clark was reported walking down a road about eight hours later and was arrested by deputies without incident. Johnson stayed at the scene, was interviewed by detectives, was released and was later brought in by Whitfield County deputies.
The intensity of the situation was hammered home on the 911 call as the man who Thurman identified as Baggett’s stepfather can be heard imploring emergency responders to hurry. Later in the call when Thurman went outside to tell the operator more on Baggett’s condition, the man can be heard saying, “You stay here with her. I’m going to hurt that (expletive).”