08/09/2025
The Coleman-Baker Act has helped to solve another case! This is much needed closure for the family of the victims. What an amazing thing to be a part of. Thank you, Eternal Vigilance Action, GBI, and everyone e else who helped put this bill together. It’s time for Rhonda Sue Coleman ‘s case to be solved and provide closure for Milton and Gayle, and the community of Hazlehurst.
GBI Makes Arrests in 2020 Murders of Cheryl Newsome and Troy Bennett
In a breakthrough in a five-year-old case, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has arrested four individuals in connection with the murders of Cheryl Newsome and Troy Bennett, whose deaths were discovered in August 2020. After an intensive investigation, GBI agents and deputies from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office have charged Randy Hall, 39, Lora Thornton, 34, Chance McKenna, 21, and a minor with two counts of murder, two counts of armed robbery, and one count of first-degree burglary.
Newsome, a retired nurse, and Bennett, a retired firefighter and U.S. military veteran, were found dead in their home on Monday, August 3, 2020. Authorities initially indicated the couple’s deaths were the result of a home invasion. Despite a continued investigation, no suspects had been identified for several years.
The case took a significant turn in August 2023 when the GBI Cold Case Unit received a Coleman-Baker Act application from the victims’ family. The request prompted a thorough review of the ongoing investigation, which led to renewed efforts from the GBI Cold Case Unit, the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Thomson, and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation into Newsome and Bennett's deaths has been a priority for law enforcement since the moment their bodies were discovered. Agents found clear evidence pointing to a home invasion, but it took years for the case to move toward closure. The GBI Cold Case Unit’s collaboration with local law enforcement provided the fresh perspective needed to make progress.
As a result of their findings, Hall and Thornton have been arrested and booked into the McDuffie County Jail. McKenna, who is currently incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections, was also charged in connection with the murders. The minor involved in the case, whose identity has not been disclosed due to age, faces similar charges.
The GBI is continuing its investigation and is urging anyone with further information about the case to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously via the GBI’s tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the "See Something, Send Something" app.
For additional information about the GBI Cold Case Unit and the Coleman-Baker Act, which allows families to request reviews of unsolved cases, visit the link our comments.
As this case continues to develop, authorities are hopeful that these arrests bring closure to a long-standing tragedy in the community.
