The husband of a victim of suicide has been charged with felony murder in a unique case rooted in evidence uncovered from video surveillance cameras inside the couple’s residence.
Troy Newton Scarborough, 45, was arrested March 28 for two counts of possession of firearm by convicted felon or first offender. The charges of four counts of aggravated assault (family violence) and felony murder were added April 27.
Jones County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Kenny Gleaton said the sheriff’s office received a call March 27 from Scarborough reporting that his wife had shot herself. He said, when deputies arrived on the scene, they did in fact find Shyanne Schroeder, deceased from a head wound. Gleaton said, based on
Gleaton said, based on the initial observation of Scarborough’s behavior, the deputies were suspicious. He said the husband had visible head injuries, and he was transported for treatment.
The lieutenant said an investigation of Scarborough revealed that he had multiple felony convictions, and he was currently on bond in Jones County for drug charges. Gleaton said both firearms and meth amphetamine were found in the home.
Scarborough was immediately arrested when he was released after receiving treatment.
Schroeder’s body was sent to the crime lab for an autopsy that confirmed her death was the result of the gunshot to her head.
Gleaton said the JCSO seized all electronic items in the home – computers, phones and the home’s video surveillance system, which included cameras in multiple rooms of the house.
He said the cameras were found in almost every room of the house, but the system was password protected. The investigator said they recently received assistance from the FBI to get into the system and started watching the videos.
“After watching the surveillance, we developed probable cause that Ms. Schroeder was assaulted multiple times over several hours leading up to her death,” he said.
Gleaton said investigators have no doubt that Schroeder died from a self-inflected gunshot wound, but the video evidence of the assaults resulted in the additional charges against Scarborough.
After presenting that evidence to the magistrate judge, warrants were secured for Scarborough for four counts of aggravated assault family violence and felony murder.
Gleaton said the felony murder charge is applicable when a death occur during the commission of a felony.
He referenced Georgia Code 16-15-1c, which states a person also commits the offense of murder when, in the commission of a felony, he causes the death of another human being irrespective of malice.
The investigator said an example of that is if a robber pointed a gun at a victim who then dies of a heart attack. He said the robber’s actions, while committing a felony, caused the death of the victim and the robber would be guilty of felony murder.
Gleaton said amount of surveillance videos from the house is voluminous and the case remains under investigation.
“The videos are very difficult to watch,” he commented.
Gleaton said after the autopsy was concluded, Schroder was cremated.
Schroder’s mother was in Jones County Superior Court April 28 seeking possession of her daughter’s cremains. Following a discussion with Scarborough via Zoom that was mostly about his lack of representation in the civil motion, he told the court he did not object to Schroder’s mother having possession of her daughter’s cremains.
