GBI Arrests 68-Year-Old Man in 1984 Waycross Rape and Murder

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested a 68-year-old Ware County man, Freddie Lee Granger Jr., in connection with the 1984 rape and killing of 22-year-old Sandra Kaye Davis in Waycross, Georgia. Investigators say new DNA testing linked Granger to evidence preserved from the original crime scene, leading to his arrest on charges of malice murder, felony murder, rape, and aggravated assault.

Why it matters

This arrest highlights how advances in DNA technology and forensic testing can help solve long-cold cases, providing closure for victims' families and potentially taking dangerous criminals off the streets decades later. However, the use of such techniques also raises privacy concerns that will likely continue to be debated as more cold cases are cracked.

The details

According to authorities, Davis's body was found on September 1, 1984, beside a home on Kollock Street in Waycross. She had been strangled. Local police brought in the GBI at the time, but the case went cold until continued DNA testing by the GBI and Waycross PD allegedly linked Granger to evidence from the original crime scene. The GBI's Regional Investigative Office in Douglas led the investigation, with support from the Ware County Sheriff's Office, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, and the GBI Cold Case Unit.

• On September 1, 1984, police found Sandra Kaye Davis's body beside a home in Waycross.
• On March 31, 2026, the GBI arrested 68-year-old Freddie Lee Granger Jr. in connection with the 1984 crime.

What’s next

Once investigators wrap up their work, they plan to turn the full case file over to the Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for a decision on prosecution. An arraignment date and bond information for Freddie Lee Granger Jr. have not yet been released.