NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — After a mother of seven was killed in a hit-and-run, Newton County deputies reported the suspect had died by suicide.
James Jenkins, who is 50 years old, was found with "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” investigators said on Tuesday, nearly a month after the crash.
The 50-year-old was accused of hitting Deanna Mattheus on Highway 36 on Jan. 30. Mattheus was pronounced dead, and the driver, suspected to be Jenkins, did not stay on scene.
In an effort to find the driver, a $2,000 reward was offered for any information about the deadly hit-and-run. Less than a month later, investigators identified Jenkins as the suspect and found the vehicle possibly used in the hit-and-run.
Jenkins was later found dead on Feb. 27, the post said.
Mattheus, who was a lifelong Covington resident, leaves behind seven children and two grandchildren, according to an obituary from Harwell Funeral home.
