An early-morning welfare check led deputies to a burning home and an elderly man found dead. On Friday, August 26, 2022, family concerns prompted a 911 call for 80-year-old John Lark Conley at his residence on Highway 32 West in Douglas, Georgia. Deputies arriving around 6:00 a.m. found the house on fire; after firefighters extinguished the blaze, Conley was discovered deceased inside.

The scene was treated as suspicious and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Douglas Office was asked to take the lead. Two days later, on August 28, 2022, 52-year-old James Schmit of Douglas was arrested and charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, and arson. An autopsy was pending at the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office in Macon as investigators continued to piece together what happened.

If anyone knew John Conley, his routines, or saw activity near 4463 Highway 32 West around August 26, 2022, please share what you know.