Man arrested in DeKalb, charged in
Cobb golf course killings
The Atlanta - Journal - Constitution / by Henri Hollis and Shaddi Abusaid / July 9, 2021
Bryan Anthony Rhoden, charged in 3 deaths, called ‘lone shooter’ by police chief
Families in Cobb County anxious about the mysterious killings at an upscale Kennesaw golf course can breathe a sigh of relief. After five days with few developments in the case, a man suspected in the three deaths was captured Thursday afternoon.
Bryan Anthony Rhoden, 23, of Atlanta, was taken into custody in DeKalb County, more than 25 miles from Pinetree Country Club where golf pro Gene Siller, 46, was shot dead Saturday afternoon, according to Cobb officials. Rhoden is charged with three counts of murder, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of kidnapping, Cobb police Chief Tim Cox said during a hastily arranged news conference Thursday evening.
Siller, the country club’s director of golf, was shot and killed after Rhoden drove a white Dodge Ram pickup truck onto the Kennesaw golf course with two bodies in its bed, according to police. Investigators don’t believe Siller was targeted, but said he was shot when he went to investigate the truck on the 10th hole Saturday afternoon.
The two other victims found in the truck were later identified as Henry Valdez, 46, of Anaheim, California, and Paul Pierson, 76, of Topeka, Kansas, who owned the truck, according to Cobb officials. The men appeared to have no connection to the country club.
Detectives believe the three men were killed in the same area and within a short time frame, Cox said.
Online jail records show Rhoden was arrested on several traffic charges in Chamblee late Saturday, hours after the three bodies were found on the course. Rhoden was arrested on misdemeanor charges of DUI, a headlight violation, fake ID, driving without insurance, driving an unregistered vehicle and using a license plate to conceal the identity of a vehicle, according to DeKalb County jail records. He was released on bond Tuesday evening, then arrested on the murder charges out of Cobb two days later.
Rhoden has been arrested before on violent crime charges. As an 18-year-old student at Georgia State University in early 2016, Rhoden and another man were charged in a double shooting that took place during an apparent drug deal, the AJC previously reported.
According to GSU police, Rhoden met two other men in a car outside of his residence hall one night in March. Rhoden was attempting to sell the men marijuana when an argument began, leading to a shootout between Rhoden and a 19-year-old man, a spokesman for the university police department said.
Rhoden was hit once in the chest but shot the other man three times with a Glock .40 handgun, and both were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in serious condition, the spokesman said. Each man was later charged with assault, attempted murder and possession of a firearm on campus. Investigators recovered both guns and what they described as “a significant quantity of marijuana” in Rhoden’s backpack.
Authorities think Siller may have “happened upon a crime in progress” and was “killed because he witnessed an active crime taking place.” An agency spokesman said Thursday that most details related to the investigation would likely have to come out in court.
Additional details here - https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-man-arrested-in-triple-homicide-at-cobb-country-club/7GY3RC7KSBCPBHHLDPFQCOJIEM/?fbclid=IwAR3YpjTcg8gyWs-yUy3J1BRyjtjo5eo2Eedt-5DdqsTbjPM1SZblsdEoY6o
Bryan Anthony Rhoden, 23, of Atlanta, was taken into custody in DeKalb County, more than 25 miles from Pinetree Country Club where golf pro Gene Siller, 46, was shot dead Saturday afternoon, according to Cobb officials. Rhoden is charged with three counts of murder, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of kidnapping, Cobb police Chief Tim Cox said during a hastily arranged news conference Thursday evening.
Siller, the country club’s director of golf, was shot and killed after Rhoden drove a white Dodge Ram pickup truck onto the Kennesaw golf course with two bodies in its bed, according to police. Investigators don’t believe Siller was targeted, but said he was shot when he went to investigate the truck on the 10th hole Saturday afternoon.
The two other victims found in the truck were later identified as Henry Valdez, 46, of Anaheim, California, and Paul Pierson, 76, of Topeka, Kansas, who owned the truck, according to Cobb officials. The men appeared to have no connection to the country club.
Detectives believe the three men were killed in the same area and within a short time frame, Cox said.
Online jail records show Rhoden was arrested on several traffic charges in Chamblee late Saturday, hours after the three bodies were found on the course. Rhoden was arrested on misdemeanor charges of DUI, a headlight violation, fake ID, driving without insurance, driving an unregistered vehicle and using a license plate to conceal the identity of a vehicle, according to DeKalb County jail records. He was released on bond Tuesday evening, then arrested on the murder charges out of Cobb two days later.
Rhoden has been arrested before on violent crime charges. As an 18-year-old student at Georgia State University in early 2016, Rhoden and another man were charged in a double shooting that took place during an apparent drug deal, the AJC previously reported.
According to GSU police, Rhoden met two other men in a car outside of his residence hall one night in March. Rhoden was attempting to sell the men marijuana when an argument began, leading to a shootout between Rhoden and a 19-year-old man, a spokesman for the university police department said.
Rhoden was hit once in the chest but shot the other man three times with a Glock .40 handgun, and both were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in serious condition, the spokesman said. Each man was later charged with assault, attempted murder and possession of a firearm on campus. Investigators recovered both guns and what they described as “a significant quantity of marijuana” in Rhoden’s backpack.
Authorities think Siller may have “happened upon a crime in progress” and was “killed because he witnessed an active crime taking place.” An agency spokesman said Thursday that most details related to the investigation would likely have to come out in court.
Additional details here - https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-man-arrested-in-triple-homicide-at-cobb-country-club/7GY3RC7KSBCPBHHLDPFQCOJIEM/?fbclid=IwAR3YpjTcg8gyWs-yUy3J1BRyjtjo5eo2Eedt-5DdqsTbjPM1SZblsdEoY6o