After 30 years, charges filed in death of J.E. Hand

After more than 30 years, an investigation into the 1996 murder of the Rev. James E. Hand has resulted in the issuance of arrest warrants for Zachary B. Harper, who is incarcerated at Jenkins Correctional Institute serving a life sentence for another 1996 murder.
Rev. Hand was found on a Saturday evening June 1, 1996, by family members on the roof of a new social hall under construction at Snipesville Full Gospel Church where Hand served as pastor. He had been shot several times with a .22 caliber firearm, then-Sheriff Jimmy Boatright said at the time. Rev. Hand had been putting shingles on the roof of the structure when he was shot, apparently from either the ground or from the ladder leading up to the roof, investigators said at the time.
[See on Page 5 the front page of the June 5, 1996, Ledger which included the story of the shooting]
The Hand murder case has remained a priority for law enforcement, and through continued investigative efforts, new developments led to the filing of charges.
Jeff Davis Sheriff Preston Bohannon and Investigator Bradley Wooten, accompanied by representatives of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), met with members of Rev. Hand’s family to personally inform them of the latest development.
“While no arrest can undo the pain and loss suffered by Rev. Hand’s loved ones, it is our hope that this milestone brings them a measure of comfort and reassurance that their family’s pursuit of justice has never been forgotten,” Sheriff Bohannon said in a news release issued last week.
The Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office extends its appreciation to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and all investigators who worked tirelessly on the case over the past three decades.
Just over four months after the murder of Rev. Hand, 49-year-old Lindsey Nevers was shot during a robbery attempt at the then-Flash Foods convenience store on the Alma Highway. A video surveillance camera in the store led investigators to arrest three Hazlehurst teenagers — Harper, then 17 years old, John E. Marion, 19, and Heather Nester, 18. Harper and Marion are both still serving time in prison for the murder. They are now 47 and 48 years old. A Jeff Davis County jury found Ms. Nester not guilty of the charges, determining that, while she drove Harper and Marion to and from the store, she was not aware that the two planned to rob the store.
The video surveillance camera revealed that Harper walked up to the counter and shot Nevers several times without warning. Then, he and Marion tried unsuccessfully to open the cash register. When their efforts failed, they took some cigarettes and left the store.
A chilling aspect of the murder was that Nevers, lying at the feet of Harper as Harper tried to open the cash register, made a sound or moved. And Harper retrieved his gun and fired a final shot at Nevers who was lying helplessly on the floor.
Harper is incarcerated in the Jenkins Correctional Facility in Millen, serving time for murder, armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime.
Marion is currently in the Smith Transition Facility in Claxton. Smith Transition Facility is a facility with a mission “To protect the community while assisting residents in making successful transitions back into society.”