Late in the summer of 2025 the Dalton, Georgia, community was shaken when 53-year-old William Henry Thompson II was found dead on the morning of Tuesday, August 19. His body was located in the front yard of a residence on New Zion Hill Road; the cause of death was a gunshot wound.

The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened a homicide probe that quickly identified a person of interest. Investigators focused on Terry Hill, who was later located by officers on Highway 411 in Murray County. Hill fled when officers attempted a traffic stop, prompting a short pursuit involving Chatsworth Police, the Murray County Sheriff’s Office and the Eton Police Department. Whitfield County deputies ultimately stopped Hill’s vehicle and took him into custody; he was booked on a murder charge and is being held at the Whitfield County Detention Center.

No motive or the precise nature of any connection between Thompson and Terry Hill has been released, and the investigation remains open. If anyone has information about William Thompson, his movements on August 19, 2025, or the events on New Zion Hill Road, please come forward.