Thomas Jesse Lee
Thomas Jesse Lee
January 31, 2015 Bodies Discovered
When William Burtron didn't show up for work for a 3rd time that week, nor had he called either day he missed, his employer just knew Mr. Burtron had to be checked on. His employer called the police immediately for a welfare check on Mr. Burtron and his family since he and his wife also had an adult daughter that lived with them along with her husband and her 16 year old daughter.
January 31, 2015 when officers arrived at the Burtron home on Woodstream Trail in Troup County, what they found no one was expecting. Mr. William Burtron was found dead on the kitchen floor, and his 68 year old wife Sheila, their daughter 33 year old Christie Lee, 16 year old granddaughter Bailey Burtron, and family friend 18 year old Tiaonna Green were all four found shot and killed in multiple bedrooms throughout the house. Ms. Green had just recently begun living at The Burtron's home. It was a horrible scene, a complete nightmare to walk into. It wasn't until after speaking with neighbors and family members of this family that police realized someone was unaccounted for that lives in this home. Christie Lee's husband, Thomas Jesse Lee 26 was not here. At the beginning, police were unsure what was happening. Was Mr. Lee involved in these murders somehow or was he a victim and had been abducted. Then after talking with different people who knew this family and knew Mr. Lee it was beginning to look more like he was the suspect or at the very least a person of interest.
The coroner confirmed what everyone suspected, these five victims had been dead for days. In this time nobody had spoken to or seen Mr. Lee and he wasn't responding to messages on his phone.
The Hunt For Thomas Jesse Lee
Troup County Sheriff's Office went to work immediately trying to figure out if Mr. Lee was a victim or suspect. ( This is what I was told when I asked )
So, once they had their suspect named, Mr. Lee had already left town. Police had announced on their Facebook Page that he was officially a suspect and warrants had been issued for multiple violent felonies, including 5 counts of 1st degree murder. They released pictures of his olive green Mazda Tribute and the tag number to the public. At that point the autopsies had not been done so I am unsure what, besides forensics, tied him to the murders except the fact he was not there and he did live there. There were no domestic violence reports that I could find to say he was violent with his wife and her family. Police made a comment to news reporters that they believe there had been some sort of argument between Mr. Lee and someone in the home recently and they believed that's what led to the massacre. Big leap with no proof and Mr. Lee was still not found, so no way to verify that.
All the news reports I found indicated Troup County Sheriff's Office was even unsure at this point as to when the killings took place. The neighbors confirmed the house had seemed very quiet for a few days. They had no official cause of death either. They did have a theory that all 5 victims were shot, but after the autopsies were performed, the GBI crime lab reported that one victim was killed in another way. News reports say strangulation but not which victim.
The Capture Of Thomas Jesse Lee
When Mr. Lee was arrested, he appeared to be smiling in the mugshot. Some say he was heartless and he was just showing his true self and how he really felt. I did speak with a few people that just couldn't believe he could do such a thing, especially to his wife and her daughter. I guess everyone just has their opinions. He had never been in trouble with the law and when you think about it, something had to have snapped. I did ask about any motives here, but never could get an answer.
The Indictment and Sentencing
Thomas Jesse Lee was indicted at the beginning of May 2015, just 3 months after his victims were found murdered in their family home in LaGrange, Georgia. A Troup County jury indicted him on 11 felony charges, including 5 counts of malice murder, 1 count of felony murder, 1 count of aggravated assault, and 4 counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
It was mid June 2015 when Mr. Lee was back in the courtroom in Troup County pleading guilty but mentally insane. His demeanor looked completely different than that booking photo of him grinning back in February of that same year. While pleading guilty Mr. Lee was sobbing and barely audible that day in the courtroom. The DAs office was gonna go for the death penalty; however, Mr. Lee pled guilty but mentally insane in exchange for a life sentence with no chance of parole. Since he did plead guilty he cannot appeal the guilty verdict either later down the road.
Other Information Involving This Case
So as of today, December 8, 2022, I still cannot figure the motive here. I mean I'm sure there is one other than Mr. Lee just snapping.
I do have theories, but until I know for sure, I won't speculate. I will follow up on this story with any new information I may receive.
Thomas Jesse Lee At Sentencing
A Special Thank You To The Following Sites I Used As Resources
- Heavy.com
- LaGrange Daily News
- New York Daily News
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