On Saturday June 6, 2015 at 11 p.m., Bulloch County Sheriff's Office patrol deputies responded to a family member’s report of a woman dead at her home in the 400 block of George Road, a Brooklet address in rural Bulloch County.

Inside, deputies found the deceased body of Betty Jean King, who was 51 years old at the time. Her death was ruled a homicide from multiple blunt force injuries, according to reports.

Although evidence was submitted to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab and numerous interviews were conducted, the case eventually went cold.

Friday afternoon – more the 11 years later – the Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest and indictment of Perry Lewis Edwards, 50, of Brooklet in the murder of King.

"Our investigators never gave up on finding answers," Sheriff Noel Brown said. "Their dedication reflects our commitment to seeking justice for Betty King and bringing long-awaited closure to her family."

Over the following years after King’s death, investigators and crime scene technicians continually reviewed witness statements and physical evidence to identify new leads, a release from Chief Deputy Bill Black stated.

Persistent reviews of the evidence ultimately enabled investigators to establish probable cause against Edwards, the release stated.

Arrest warrants were issued for Edwards on June 16, 2026, and he was indicted by the Bulloch County Grand Jury on Sept. 20. On Thursday, Edwards was booked into the Bulloch County Jail, where he is currently being held awaiting arraignment.

Ogeechee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Catherine Sumner charged Edwards with: malice murder, felony murder (3 counts), aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and false imprisonment.

Anyone with additional information regarding this case is urged to contact Lieutenant Walter Deal at (912) 764-1788.