Two in Custody on Charges Related to Missing Georgia Man

Peppers & OsbornPhoto bySCSO

Two individuals are in custody in Spalding County and are being questioned regarding the disappearance of an elderly Laurens County man with dementia.

Earlier this month, the Laurens County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) reported that 82-year-old Garland Sims Warren had been reported missing on June 10. Law enforcement officials released a photo of Warren's truck, which was also missing along with his dog. However, on Thursday, officials stated that Warren's dog has been found.

Last Friday, Warren's tag was detected by the Flock camera system, prompting deputies to receive a notification about the vehicle. Seven minutes later, a deputy located Warren's truck parked behind the Dollar General Store on Jackson Road in Griffin. Immediately afterward, a search for Warren in the vicinity commenced.

Officials in Spalding County stated that upon discovery of Warren's vehicle, Laurens County Sheriff Larry Dean was notified. Sheriff Dean and other investigators then traveled to Spalding County to assist with the search and investigation.

After Warren was not located, the search expanded and involved the deployment of the department’s STAR helicopter, firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs/Paramedics, Spalding County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) K-9 units, and the L.A.W.S. unit search and rescue K-9s. According to Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix, the search continued throughout the day and into the night but was ultimately unsuccessful in locating Warren.

During the search, investigators from the SCSO and LCSO reviewed video surveillance and conducted door-to-door interviews with citizens who might have seen Warren.

Sheriff Dix mentioned that as the search progressed, investigators began scrutinizing hours of video surveillance depicting vehicles in the area just before, during, and after the Flock notification. However, after interviewing several vehicle owners in the area, all were eliminated as potential sources of information about Warren's vehicle or whereabouts.

On Saturday night, investigators visited 62-year-old Robert Earnest Peppers and 56-year-old Kelly Gail Osborn at their residence. Sheriff Dix stated that during questioning, Peppers admitted to driving Warren's vehicle and parking it behind the Dollar General. Osborn also confessed that she followed Peppers and picked him up from the Dollar General after he parked the vehicle behind the store.

Subsequently, both Peppers and Osborn were taken to the SCSO for further questioning, and a search warrant was executed at their residence.

Sheriff Dix explained that based on their statements, investigators received information leading them to discover a road where Warren's vehicle had been pulled from a ditch and driven away by Peppers. A search of that area was conducted, and law enforcement recovered a piece of mail belonging to Warren.

Additional interviews followed, resulting in the execution of another search warrant at the residence. According to Sheriff Dix, items belonging to Warren that had been in his vehicle were found during this search.

Currently, Peppers and Osborn are both held in the Spalding County Jail and are being questioned further regarding their involvement with Warren and his disappearance. They face charges of theft by receiving stolen property.

After Warren's truck was located, it was transported to the GBI Region 13 in Perry to be processed by their Crime Scene Investigators.

On Thursday, June 27, Sheriff Dix gave another update, stating that Warren's dog had been located and the investigation into Warren's whereabouts was still underway.

Sheriff Dix stated,

“We are actively working this case, gathering evidence, following leads, maintaining communication with Sheriff Dean and his agency, and conducting interviews. My Investigators are collaborating with Sheriff Dean and his Investigators. They have been working almost non-stop since the Flock alert. Even our Uniform Patrol Deputies have been out day and night, conducting foot searches and supporting Criminal Investigators. Our priority is locating Mr. Warren.

“We've received inquiries about civilians and civilian groups coming to Spalding County to assist in the search for Mr. Warren, and we've had a few reports of this happening. Some well-meaning individuals have sent our Deputies and Investigators on wild goose chases because they lack the factual basis that guides our investigation. This diverts our focus from finding Mr. Warren and slows down our progress because we have to manage these distractions. Even if we've already searched an area, new information might necessitate a return visit as the investigation develops and new leads emerge.

“Having people trample through these areas on foot, on ATVs, with dogs, horses, and conducting independent searches does not aid our investigation; in fact, it can hinder it by potentially contaminating evidence. If we require outside assistance, we're not averse to reaching out to citizens, as we did during the tornadoes in Spalding County. Our community is always willing to lend a hand, get involved, and assist when asked. For now, we ask that the public refrain and allow us to carry out our duties without interference or contamination.”

“I've stated before that during an investigation, we can't disclose every detail or provide minute-by-minute updates. Cases can be slow to unfold, with information sometimes pouring in at unpredictable times. Our main objective remains finding Mr. Warren, preserving the integrity of our search and investigation, and we will release information as it becomes available.”

Records from the Georgia Department of Corrections indicate that Peppers has an extensive criminal history, with 41 convictions in Georgia.

According to the GDC website, Peppers has been in and out of the prison system since 1988, serving over 15 years for various felony convictions in Fulton County, Clayton County, Henry County, and Gwinnett County. His convictions include charges such as robbery, theft, forgery, escape, impersonation, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, fleeing, theft of a motor vehicle, fraud, possession of a knife during the commission of a crime, simple battery, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, false statements, and others. He was released from prison in October 2017.

According to Sheriff Dix on Thursday, the Butts County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) was contacted on June 15th, reporting that individuals riding 4-wheelers on the abandoned end of Wallace Road in Butts County observed a black pickup truck with its rear tires in the ditch.

The individuals took photos of the truck and sent them to officials at BCSO. It has since been confirmed that the truck belongs to Warren, with Warren's dog pictured in one of the photos.

Sheriff Dix stated:

"These photos place the truck at the location where Peppers said he found it six days before the truck was located by Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Deputies at the Dollar General on Jackson Road after a Flock alert. Spalding County Sheriff’s Office and Butts County Sheriff’s Office Investigators, along with Spalding Fire Staff, City of Griffin Fire Staff, met to plan a response to this new information, while other Investigators continued working the case.

"On June 26, 2024, at approximately 6:30 am, Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, Butts County Sheriff’s Office, Laurens County SO, representatives from The Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, along with the joint L.A.W.S. Unit, STAR, Butts County Fire, Spalding County Fire, Spalding County Public Works, Georgia Bureau of Investigations Agents, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Rangers, multiple SAR K-9’s, and other resources began a methodical search of a large area surrounding where the truck was photographed on Wallace Road. In total, approximately 75 searchers were assigned to teams, given grid areas, and commenced searching on foot.

"They thoroughly searched the entire area, including woods, creeks, culverts, ditches, trash piles, abandoned houses, drainage pipes, bodies of water, and any other accessible areas where Mr. Warren could have gone. Some previously searched areas were revisited.

"During a debriefing, it was determined that search teams covered all searchable areas, including some outside the original search zone. Everyone involved yesterday morning was eager to find Mr. Warren and assist his family. At this point, Mr. Warren has not been located, but we will continue to pursue leads. In the meantime, my Investigators searched Flock statewide again, and there were no relevant hits related to Mr. Warren’s truck or the vehicle operated by Osborn and Peppers in connection with this case."

On June 28, investigators from BCSO received a phone call reporting that a dog matching Warren's dog's description had been found near Ga. Hwy. 16 at Windy Lane. The individuals took the dog in and have been caring for it since finding it. Upon seeing news of Warren's disappearance, they contacted BCSO investigators, and the dog was subsequently turned over to officials in Laurens County.

The dog has since been confirmed to belong to Warren.

Sheriff Dix added,

"Both Peppers and Osborn remain in custody at the Spalding County Jail. We are aware that Osborn’s husband was found deceased after being reported missing several years ago, and we have obtained a copy of that report.

"I understand that people are frustrated – so are we and everyone else involved in the search for Mr. Warren. We all want answers and accountability. However, at this moment, despite the public sentiment, there is insufficient evidence to charge Osborn and Peppers with anything beyond what they have been charged. Both have waived their rights and been extensively interviewed by Investigators. We must follow the evidence and facts, not emotions and theories. Ultimately, there’s a significant distinction between believing someone was involved, asserting you know they were, and proving it before a jury. In court, you have only one opportunity to get it right, or risk losing everything."

If you have any information, video footage, or leads regarding the case or Warren's whereabouts, please contact Lt. Jeff Smith or Sgt. A.J. Hammond at the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office at 770-467-4282, the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office at 478-272-1522, the Butts County Sheriff's Office at (770) 775-8216, or the Spalding County 911 Center at 770-229-9911.