Key Takeaways
- Inmate Stacy Huggins escaped from a work assignment on September 4, but authorities only notified the public five days later.
- The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia Department of Corrections are conducting a joint search for Huggins.
- A critical communication breakdown occurred as vital information about Huggins’ violent past was not shared with the sheriff’s office initially.
- The Sheriff’s Office is implementing policy changes to ensure timely public alerts in similar situations moving forward.
- Anyone with information regarding Huggins’ whereabouts should contact the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office or call 911.
A convicted murderer walked away from his work assignment last week, but the public wasn’t notified until five days after his disappearance, raising serious questions about communication between law enforcement agencies.
Timeline Reveals Troubling Gaps
Stacy Huggins disappeared from his assigned work site on Wilson Road in Hephzibah on September 4. According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the Augusta Transitional Center on Taylor Street at 7:54 p.m. that evening after learning Huggins had left his job site hours earlier and never returned.
What happened next exposes a critical breakdown in public safety communication.
The Sheriff’s Office now explains they weren’t initially told about Huggins’ violent criminal history. In a statement, they said: “On September 4, 2025, at 19:54 hours, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office was advised that an individual staying at a transitional center after being released from prison had left his assigned job site approximately four hours earlier and was missing. At that time, we were not provided with his prior criminal history and were informed that the Georgia Department of Corrections would be handling the search.”
It wasn’t until September 9, five days after Huggins went missing, that authorities finally alerted the public.
Critical Information Withheld
The Sheriff’s Office revealed: “Last night, we learned that the individual had in fact been released from prison for a conviction of murder and was being actively sought by the DOC. With this updated information, the Sheriff’s Office issued a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) today.”
Changes Coming to Notification Process
The incident has prompted immediate policy changes. The Sheriff’s Office says they’re “working closely with the Department of Corrections to ensure that all pertinent information is shared in real time. If DOC does not immediately issue a BOLO in similar situations, we will ensure that one is issued by our agency without delay.”
They’ve also reached out to the US Marshals Service for assistance in the search.
The Sheriff’s Office noted that had this been “an escape from prison, our jail, or RCCI, an immediate BOLO would have been issued per our current policy.”
The Georgia Sun has reached out to the Georgia Department of Corrections to find out why Huggins, who was convicted of murder, was released to a transitional center.
How You Can Help
Authorities are still searching for Huggins, who was last seen in the Hephzibah area. Anyone with information about his whereabouts should contact the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office at 706-821-1020 or call 911 immediately.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
