MOULTRIE – On Monday, December 4, 2023, at approximately 10:55 a.m., the Moultrie Police Department requested the GBI to assist with an aggravated assault investigation.

The investigation determined that a dispute occurred between Jerry Benford, 61, of Moultrie, and the victim in the 900 block of 8^th Avenue Southeast in Moultrie. During the altercation, Benford retrieved a hatchet and struck the victim in the head with it. The victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

Benford has been charged with one count of Aggravated Assault and is currently in custody at the Colquitt County Jail.

This case is active and ongoing and anyone with information on this case is asked to call the GBI Thomasville Office at 229-225-4090. Once complete, this case file will be turned over to the Colquitt County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.