Murder charges filed in Barker Road stabbing death

Murder charges filed in Barker Road stabbing death

Friday, July 26, 2024–8:51 p.m.

-Adam Carey, Rome News-Tribune-

This story is possible because of a news-sharing agreement with the Rome News-Tribune. More information can be found at northwestgeorgianews.com

Floyd County police have filed felony murder charges against a suspect in the stabbing death of a man on Barker Road early on the morning of June 18 after a neighbor reported finding the body.

Jeremiah Ray Douglas, 33, has been charged with felony murder in the stabbing death of 63-year-old David Charles Lorenz.

Floyd County police officers found Lorenz lying face down in the driveway of his residence at 618 Barker Road in front of his Ford F250. The responding officer noted that the majority of the back of the victim’s shirt was soaked in blood as well as mud.

“This was suspicious to me and indicated that Mr. Lorenz was lying on his back and was possibly moved at some point before the call to 911,” the responding officer wrote in his report.

Douglas has been considered a suspect since the incident, when he was arrested on unrelated charges. Soon after the arrest, Floyd County Police Sgt. Amber Lopez said they were waiting on some information before issuing charges in the stabbing.

“We used some new forensic technology to investigate this crime,” Floyd County police Maj. Jeff Jones said. “And we were waiting on some information to corroborate our findings.”

As soon as that information was received police charged Douglas with the stabbing.

The neighbor told police he had last seen Lorenz around 8 p.m. the previous night and that Lorenz had a history of using meth. The neighbor also stated that Lorenz had people over at his home that night.

The neighbor, who indicated that he is hard of hearing, stated that he did not hear any altercation the previous night. Police recovered meth and several firearms from the home