Change of venue motion in WACO murder trial
Published 3:37 pm Saturday, November 8, 2025
SANDERSVILLE, Ga. — A special prosecutor involved in selecting a jury for the murder trial of three ex-deputies charged in a 2017 slaying has filed a motion for a change of venue.
The motion for change of venue was filed earlier this week in Washington County Superior Court in Sandersville. It followed two days of jury selection.
Special appointed prosecutor George Lipscomb filed the motion for the change of venue after running into problems finding impartial jurors.
Lipscomb contends an impartial jury cannot be selected in the county in order for the trial to move forward for opening statements from attorneys representing the state as well as the trio of defendants.
He argued in his motion that too many members of the public have varied opinions about the case that has made national news on several occasions, including in October 2021 when the first trial was held in downtown Sandersville.
The first trial ended in a hung jury. Jurors could not return a unanimous verdict on the charges against the defendants, leaving the judge with no other choice except to declare a mistrial.
The victim in the case was 58-year-old Eurie Lee Martin, who lived in neighboring Baldwin County.
Martin became involved in a physical struggle with deputies on Deepstep Road on July 7, 2017, while he was walking along the shoulder of the road. A man had earlier called 911 about a suspicious Black man being refused a drink of water at the man’s house. When he called 911, the nature of the call was for deputies to check the man later identified as Martin as a suspicious person.
Martin was later Tased 15 times over a span of 16 minutes.
He collapsed and died on the side of the highway.
Martin was walking from his residence in Baldwin County to visit his sister, Helen Gilbert in Sandersville.
The three defendants in the case are Henry Lee Copeland, Michael Howell and Rhett Scott.
They are all white.
The prosecutor contends there are many opinions shared in the Black community of the rural East Central Georgia county that adjoins Baldwin County where Martin lived.
“In the present case, a disproportionate number of primarily African American jurors have been excused for cause and stated they have formed fixed opinions due to the publicity and generally known facts of this case to the community in Washington County,” Lipscomb reportedly argued in the courtroom.
Lipscomb, who is from the Columbus area, was appointed the special prosecutor in the case after Middle Judicial Circuit District Attorney Tripp Fitzner recused himself and his staff from the case.
The Middle Judicial Circuit Superior Court judges also recused themselves from hearing the case.
It’s not known when Flanders might rule on the change of venue motion.
Once a 12-member jury and alternates are selected, opening statements by attorneys testimony will begin if the judge decides the case can move forward. The trial is expected to last for several days.
The three deputies on trial were fired by former sheriff Thomas Smith for violating sheriff’s office policies.
