Bully Sentenced To Multiple Life Sentences Plus 50 Years For Rape, Aggravated Sodomy, Sexual Assault

  • Thursday, June 30, 2016

Jeffery Dewayne Bully, 45, formerly of 1010 Bracket Ridge Road, Chatsworth, was sentenced Thursday to serve four life sentences without the possibility of parole, three of which were ordered to be served consecutively plus an additional 50 years by Superior Court Judge Cindy Morris. Bully was found guilty Wednesday night of three counts of rape, one count of aggravated sodomy, five counts of sexual assault of a probationer, and one count of sexual battery by a Murray County Jury comprised of nine men and three women following eight days of trial. The charges encompassed five victims in all.  The case was presented by Assistant District Attorney Ben Kenemer. Bully was represented by Dalton Attorney Mike Corbin. 

The case was investigated by Detective Jimmy Davenport of the Murray County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from Agent Bryant Hill of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and District Attorney Investigator Kevin Caylor.  The investigation began in December of 2014 when it was determined that Bully was operating an unlicensed substance abuse recovery program in Murray County called Rise Above Recovery and was sending solicitation letters to individuals, mostly female, in custody in jails around the state.  Many of these women entered the program as conditions of probation on substance abuse charges as an alternative to further incarceration, but instead of receiving assistance with their addiction they found themselves living in unsanitary conditions and subject to unwanted sexual advances and assaults from the program's owner.  

Bully was indicted in May of 2015 for the above-listed charges involving a total of seven separate victims.  After indictment, several additional victims were identified by Investigator Caylor prior to trial, although not all were assaulted in Murray County.  A total of 12 women testified during the trial either as direct victims listed in the indictment or as “other acts” witnesses whose testimony was relevant to show Bully’s propensity to sexual assault women whom he had authority over and the method of those assaults.  

Early in the investigation, Bully fled the area and relocated in Durant, Ok.  He was ultimately located and arrested in August of 2015 due to the efforts of Investigator Kevin Caylor who works at the District Attorney’s Office in Murray County.  After tracking Bully down, Mr. Caylor contacted local law enforcement and arrangements were made to trick Bully into coming to a location where he was ultimately arrested.  Bully was doing construction work and was lured to a “job site” to quote a price.  Following his arrest, he was extradited back to the state of Georgia for trial in October of 2015. 

Jury selection for the trial took place on June 13, however the presentation of evidence did not begin until June 20 and concluded during the afternoon on June 29.  Throughout the seven-day trial, Assistant District Attorney Ben Kenemer called 39 witnesses and tendered 80 exhibits into evidence including Bully’s three prior felony convictions from the State of Oklahoma, which became admissible once Bully decided to testify and place his personal credibility at issue in the trial.  



 

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