Michael Raymond Blanton, 62, a local businessman and founder of Dalton Carpet Outlet, was shot in the garage of his Lake Wellbrook home in Oconee County on March 23, 2017. His wife Kelley found him wounded after hearing the gunfire; he died of his injuries three days later. Family and community members remembered him as a prominent, philanthropic figure in the Athens area.

Authorities identified his 33-year-old son, David Michael Blanton, as the sole suspect. Investigators say the shooting followed a confrontation tied to the son’s drug use and mental health problems after Michael stopped providing financial support. David fled but was stopped shortly afterward by a Georgia State Patrol trooper and taken into custody.

David Blanton was charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony; he later pleaded guilty but mentally ill and was sentenced. Did anyone in Lake Wellbrook or Athens have contact with the Blantons around March 23 who might add details about what led up to the shooting?