What’s Happening: Gwinnett County police say a neighbor called 911 at 8:42 a.m. Sunday, May 24, after finding 44-year-old Sharell Canty dead at a home on the 300 block of Wilkerson Way in unincorporated Grayson. Detectives arrested 48-year-old Stephany Byrom and charged her with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

What’s Important: Police say they believe Canty and Byrom had previously been in a relationship. Investigators are treating the case as a domestic-related homicide.

The Charges Explained: Malice murder in Georgia means prosecutors believe the killing was intentional and deliberate. Felony murder means a death occurred while another crime was being committed. Aggravated assault involves an attack with a weapon or in a way likely to cause serious harm. The firearm charge means a gun is alleged to have been used. A malice murder conviction in Georgia carries a potential sentence of life in prison.

Public Safety: Police say the situation was isolated and that people in the area are not in danger.

Publisher at   btclark@thegeorgiasun.com  Web

B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.

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