Police report reveals new details in deadly shooting of Statesboro teenager

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - New details are available from the police report about the shooting death of a teenage girl in Statesboro.

Haley Hutcheson, 17, was struck in the back of the head with a bullet as a pickup full of teens headed down Veterans Memorial Parkway in Statesboro. The Statesboro Police Department incident report provided to WTOC by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution lays out what witnesses told investigators on June 14; the night of the shooting and leading up to the arrests.

According to the report, on the night of the shooting Haley and four friends were at a house in western Bulloch County. Witnesses told police the group "drank alcohol over a period of two hours" and socialized.

From there, they left and stopped at a Parker's gas station off Veterans Memorial Parkway. Witnesses said they ran into classmates from Claxton High School and left to eat food at nearby restaurants. First, they tried McDonald's, but it was closed. And the Waffle House next door was only allowing take-out.

From there, those riding in the truck told police they got onto Veterans Memorial Parkway. It was between the Brannen and Fair Road exits when they first heard a gunshot. That's where witness accounts are inconsistent.

Police noted in the report the damage to the pickup. There was a "single hole" from a gunshot through the back rear glass. That's how investigators believe Haley was shot in the back of the head.

A friend sitting next to Haley told police, "she was screaming Haley's name, but she wouldn't wake up."

[RELATED STORY: Friends, family remember Statesboro teen killed in shooting]

They tried to get help and drove her to East Georgia Regional Medical Center where Haley died.

That night investigators interviewed everyone in the truck. They also arrested one of the passengers - Luke Conley - on a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of a law enforcement officer.

Detectives noted in the report that, “Later Mr. Conley gave a different account of the story, one that didn’t match the first account” and ”it was believed that Conley has involvement in the case. He was seen yelling out of a window of the victim vehicle just prior to the shooting.”

Days later on June 18, a concerned citizen contacted detectives and named Marcus Wilson as the shooter. That person told police details that had not been released to the public.

"People in the black truck drove by them and started using racial slurs and racial signs."

A detective talked to Wilson over the phone and noted in the report that, "Wilson admitted to shooting 'under' the truck."

RELATED STORY: Defense attorney, family say deadly shooting in Statesboro was an act of self-defense

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution provided a copy of the police incident records to the WTOC. WTOC requested the same records from the Statesboro Police Department but was denied the request.

Statesboro Police say they can no longer release any documents due to a court gag order in the case.

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