COMMERCE, Ga. — New surveillance video has been released in connection to a 2021 murder investigation at a Dollar General in Jackson County, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Thursday.
Billy Smith, 49, of Lula, Georgia, was shot and killed on the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, at the Dollar General at 49 B Wilson Road in Commerce, according to the GBI. Investigators believe Smith was shot by an unknown suspect who had entered the store prior to Smith around 7:35 p.m.
As Smith was entering the Dollar General, the GBI said the suspect shot him while he was leaving. Investigators said the suspect took off in what appeared to be a dark-colored Chevrolet HHR.
The GBI and the Commerce Police Department are seeking the public's help in finding the man seen in the video below. He is approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and may still be driving the Chevrolet SUV.
Loved ones said Smith is survived by his wife, five sons and a daughter.
Anyone with information is asked to call the GBI's Regional Investigative Office in Athens at (706) 552‐2309 or the Commerce Police Department at (706) 335‐3200. Anonymous tips can also be made via the GBI Tip line at 1-800-597-8477 or online here.
You can watch the surveillance video below: