Liberty County mother seeks answers after suspect in son’s murder released on bond

HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - A Liberty County mother is speaking out after one of four men charged with killing her son was released on bond.

26-year-old son Devin Copeland was shot and killed Dec. 3 near the traffic circle at Memorial Drive and South Main Street in downtown Hinesville.

According to the arrest report, officers found Copeland partially inside a white Kia Rio around noon that day. He later died at the hospital from gunshot wounds.

“I mean, he’s just a lovable person,” Elizabeth Strodder said of her son, whom she described as hardworking and family-oriented.

Four suspects charged in connection with shooting

Police initially arrested three people in connection with the shooting: 22-year-old Laron Joseph McDonald, an active-duty Fort Stewart soldier; 17-year-old Daivion Bell of Jesup; and 18-year-old Dalcarri Dashawn Roberson of Jesup.

All three are charged with murder and armed robbery.

Military officials confirmed McDonald had been stationed at Fort Stewart for about 15 months and had no prior deployments.

Days later, 26-year-old Jared Elmore turned himself in to police and was also charged with murder. At a bond hearing earlier this month, Elmore was the only suspect granted bond out of the four.

Mother says she learned of son’s death through social media

Strodder said the days following her son’s death brought confusion and unanswered questions.

“If I hadn’t reached out, saying something’s not right, I hadn’t heard from my son, and with the phone calls and the video, I would have never known that my son was deceased. We learned this through social media,” she said.

Strodder said she was never notified Elmore was released and only learned he bonded out after checking the jail roster.

“It’s one of the things where we’re in fear of our life because he knows where we live,” she said.

She also said she still doesn’t know many of the details surrounding her son’s murder more than a month after his death.

“As for the community, this tragedy that happened to my family, I feel like it’s not just all about my family. It’s about everyone, and I don’t want anything like this to happen ever again in the community,” Strodder said.

“If you’ve seen something, if you know something, please notify law enforcement, because this thing happened in broad daylight.”

WTOC has reached out to Hinesville police for more clarity as the investigation remains active.