Overview
- The Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged 47-year-old Zachary B. Harper with felony murder and malice murder on Wednesday after new information developed in a long-running inquiry.
- Investigators say 54-year-old pastor James Hand was found shot multiple times on the roof of the Full Gospel Church in Snipesville on June 1, 1996 while repairing the building.
- Harper is already serving a life sentence at Jenkins Correctional Facility for unrelated November 1996 convictions for murder, armed robbery and a weapons charge.
- The GBI’s regional office in Douglas and the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office worked the case over decades and officials have not publicly detailed the specific evidence that led to charges.
- Authorities say the investigation remains active, they are asking the public for tips by phone or online, and the file will move to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit district attorney when complete.