Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Investigators bring closure to two unsolved homicide cases that took place in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Investigators were contacted by Amy Hustell, with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council of Georgia, in July of this year. Ms. Hustell spoke with investigators about two cold cases, which were brought to her attention.
Samuel Little, age 78, was arrested in Los Angeles, California for three separate homicides and is now serving a double life sentence in a California prison. Samuel Little was extradited to Texas to speak with investigators about a cold case in that state. Texas Rangers, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and members the F.B.I.’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, built a rapport with Little. It was reported that Samuel Little confessed to committing over 90 homicides of women, over four decades, across the United States. Little told Texas Rangers about two homicides committed in Macon, Georgia. Both cases were still under investigation. One of the cases took place in 1977 and the other took place in 1982. Captain Shermaine Jones and Investigator Daniel Shurley from the Bibb Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit flew to Decatur, Texas, to interview Samuel Little.
First, Little confessed to committing a homicide that took place on August 19, 1982, near Washington Park. A female’s body was found in the back yard of a residence on Magnolia Street. The female was found to have been strangled to death.
Bibb Sheriff’s Investigators determined that the homicide that Little had confessed to was that of Fredonia Smith.
According to the original case report, the Macon Police Department was dispatched to 1088 Magnolia Street in reference to skeletal remains being found. Detectives determined that the remains were from a female.
The homeowners, the Hockman family, purchased the house two weeks prior and found the skeletal remains as they were attempting to clean out an overgrown area located in the back yard.
A missing person’s report was taken on July 10, 1982. The report stated that a female was missing from 873 Washington Avenue. The clothing description of the missing female matched with the clothes found at the crime scene. Detectives sent the remains to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab and identified the remains as those of Fredonia Smith.
Samuel Little then confessed to another “cold case” homicide that took place in 1977.
In that case, the body of a female was found on property, off Riverside Drive, near Sue Drive.
On September 8, 1977, at around 4:21p.m., deputies were dispatched to a call of a person down. Deputies arrived on the scene and met with the property owners, the Bowman family. It was reported that the Bowman’s discovered skeletal remains of a human, lying in the yard, near the edge of the woods. They stated that they could smell an odor for over a month and thought that it was possible from a dead animal. Mrs. Bowman was out in the yard when she noticed something lying in the yard. When her husband arrived home, they found the human remains.
The victim’s identity is still unknown. In 2017, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation completed a reconstruction of the homicide victim’s skull, from the Riverside Drive investigation.
Samuel Little gave investigators specific details and information which linked him to both “cold case” homicides where Little admitted to strangling both women.
Investigators consulted with the Bibb County District Attorney’s Office about the information that they received while in Texas. Based on this new information, investigators were able to bring a resolution to these two homicide investigations.
Investigators have informed the family of Fredonia Smith about the recent developments concerning their loved ones death.
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis expresses his sincere thanks to Captain Shermaine Jones and Investigator Daniel Shurley of the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit, the FBI and members of their Behavioral Analysis Unit, Texas Rangers, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bibb County District Attorney’s Office, and retired Macon Police Detective Richard Massey, for their efforts in closing these cases.
Sheriff Davis said, “This chain of events bringing closure to these homicides illustrates the fact that these cases, while considered “cold “are never forgotten. With fresh information, Investigators were able to solve these decades’ old murders as if they’d happened yesterday.”