Blackshear Police are searching for a man wanted for allegedly burglarizing a local church in a case solved by DNA testing.
Blackshear Police Chief Chris Wright said warrants have been taken for Caleb Courson, 19, in connection with the April, 2024 burglary of Blackshear First United Methodist Church.
“We had a very unique break in this case that led to us taking warrants on Mr. Courson,” Chief Wright said.
The burglary was reported by the then-pastor of the church, the Rev. Mary Ann Braswell, April 21, 2024. The Rev. Braswell has since retired.
The Rev. Braswell told detectives forced entry had been made to the office of the church and a desk there had been rummaged through and broken. Medication was the only thing reported stolen.
Blood samples and a shoe print were found at the scene.
The blood samples were submitted to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for DNA testing through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
Courson’s DNA was reportedly in the CODIS system for an earlier offense and he is a match for the blood found during the break in at the church.
Chief Wright asks that anyone with information about Courson’s whereabouts please call 911.
Blackshear Police Department Investigator Ashton Thomas and Officer Jacob Goble investigated the case.
