Terry “Bubba” Rewis Case Update

Trying to find those responsible for Terry’s murder has been quite a journey. There is now an updated timeline, that I will include below, plus several pieces of crucial information given by witnesses that have come forward. As always, those who have shared their information and given statements will remain completely anonymous. I will also include information about certain aspects that show that this is indeed a homicide case.

Updated timeline of Terry’s final hours

~April 20, 2002 @ 12:30-1:30pm- Terry, along with James Kirby, stops to clean up, change clothes and head to the Redbreast Festival.

~2:00pm- They arrive at the festival and Terry meets up with his girlfriend. Kirby’s girlfriend wasn’t feeling well and had a headache. She chose to stay in the truck while the two guys went into the festival. Throughout the day, Terry went to check on her and see if she wanted to join them or get something to drink or eat.

~5:30pm- Terry’s girlfriend leaves the festival to go to work. She has verified that Terry had his cellphone, backpack, wallet and gold cross necklace in his possession.

~8:30pm- Terry calls Jessica Taylor to confirm their plans after the festival.

~9-9:30pm- Terry and James Kirby fight. The fight was supposedly over two things: Kirby owed Terry money for work and had not been paying him and the fact the Kirby’s gf had stayed in the truck at the festival but Kirby was flirting with women instead of being with her and/or taking her home. Several witnesses have come forward about seeing the fight and corroborate the fact that both gentlemen were asked to the leave the festival. Law enforcement was called and did make an appearance due to the fight. Terry begins walking down Hwy 56 at this time. I’ve asked people in attendance what Terry’s appearance was when he left. Were his knuckles bruised and/or bloody? Were there any abrasions to his face? Was he bleeding anywhere? Were his clothes torn? Everyone claims the fight didn’t last long and that neither man had any real injuries.

~10:00pm- Kirby’s girlfriend, at the time, says they got to her mother’s place of residence. She says Kirby was drunk and angry about the fight. He told her that he was going out and not to wait up for him.

~10:30-10:45pm- Witnesses see Terry walking near the little country store on Hwy 56 in Summertown. I spoke with 2 of the 4 people that saw him at this time. Both said he was walking, as he always did, and seemed fine. They regretted not being able to give him a ride but they simply had no room in the car.

~11:00-11:30pm- Terry is allegedly picked up by a few men in a pickup truck. A fight begins, with Terry being outnumbered, and lasts for a couple miles in the back of the truck. Finally, as Terry is fighting with every ounce of his being, someone made the decision to throw him over the side of the truck as it is speeding down the highway. Someone backs up over Terry, while his belongings are collected, and then speeds forward, possibly striking him again. Several people have provided the same story over these last few years. There have even been a couple of family members, of those allegedly involved, that have shared the same story. What also bothers me here is the time. If he died before midnight, which makes sense due to the so-called friend telling his mom and others, where was Terry’s body during those 7-7 1/2 hours? In all those hours, not one person saw a body in the middle of 56? Was he there the whole time or was he put there later on?

April 21, 2002 @ 12 midnight- The childhood friend of Terry goes home crying to his mom about what has happened. He spends his time panicking and making phone calls about Terry’s death. This was reported to law enforcement multiple times that week! How did he know Terry was dead? Who told him? Could he have been a witness? Why didn’t he call 911? Why wasn’t he brought in for questioning? And yes, I’ve spoken with both of them.

~approximately 1am- Terry’s sister, Jeannie, receives a phone call at work. The caller is none other than the mother of Terry’s childhood friend. She asks Jeannie if she had heard from Bubba or knows where he is. Jeannie told her she hadn’t heard from him but knew he went to the festival. The woman said nothing more and hung up. Why did she not inform Jeannie? Why didn’t she just tell her what she had been told?

~1:30am- Terry’s girlfriend is informed of his death and picked up from work. She is told nothing other than “Bubba was in an accident and has died”. This was confirmed by his girlfriend as well. She was told by her father, who had just received a call from his ex wife letting him know the news. Was she ever asked to give a statement? Did law enforcement ever speak with her about the events of that day plus the events leading up to that day?

~3:00am- The guy who claims to have been so close to Rewis being his childhood friend calls Jessica Taylor. He informs her that Terry has been in an accident and has passed away. Jessica begins making phone calls to hospitals and such trying to find Terry to validate the shocking news. She found no information. She reported this to the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office multiple times and attempted to give her statement a few times. One detective finally took her written statement. Why wasn’t she asked to give a formal statement from the get go? Didn’t law enforcement wonder how the person that called her knew hours before his body was even found?

~6:30am- Terry’s body is finally discovered (7-7 1/2 hours AFTER his death). Two hunters come upon Terry’s body in the middle of Hwy 56 and call 911. One of these men spoke up and disagreed when he heard it was listed as an “accidental” hit and run.

~6:52am- Terry is pronounced dead at the scene. One of Terry’s friends went to view and identify his body. He claims there were clear injuries proving that Terry had been in a bad fight. He said his knuckles were busted up as well.

~9:30am- The first family member (Terry’s sister, Jeannie) is informed of his death. So that one guy who made calls to inform others of Terry’s death must’ve forgotten to call Terry’s actual family. Does that make sense to anyone?

~10:00am- Kirby’s girlfriend, at the time, received a phone call at her mom’s. The caller asked to speak to Kirby. She woke him up (doesn’t know what time he actually came back home though) and told him that he had a phone call. When Kirby hung up the phone he said that it was Tyson Stephens (the sheriff at the time and has since passed away) on the phone. He claimed that Stephens informed him of Rewis’ death and that he was asked about Rewis’ wallet, what it looked like and that he was needed to identify the body. What the hell?!? That makes zero sense! The woman said she was shocked and immediately questioned him about what happened last night. Given no answer and feeling uneasy, she went into town driving Kirby’s truck. At the gas station she saw a deputy that seemed to take interest in the truck. She said he walked over and began looking at the truck as he circled it entirely. He even bent down at the front of the truck to examine a large dent. The deputy said nothing and proceeded to walk back to his car. I looked into this and found out that the lead investigator did ask Kirby about the dent but Kirby claimed he had hit a deer 2 days prior to Rewis’ death. Why wasn’t the truck processed? Why weren’t local mechanic shops immediately checked? People were already talking, willing to make statements and answer questions. Why wasn’t this looked into more?

~The day of the service- There have been multiple reports of a black dodge at the funeral home that day. A man with short black hair, mustache and goatee sat in his truck and stared at the funeral home and several of Terry’s friends as they gathered outside to talk. When several of the guys got frustrated, they yelled at the man and headed over to his truck to ask what he was doing there. The man fled the area as fast as he could. Who was this man? What was the reason for staring and not attending the service? Why speed away instead of having a conversation? Why didn’t law enforcement try to find the truck owner? They were told by quite a few people that were there that day.

~Over the next 2 weeks- A couple of Terry’s friends worked at the peanut plant at the time. They began receiving threatening phone calls. The caller would state things like, “You’re next!” and “Stop poking around and asking questions or you’ll end up just like Bubba!” One particular night, a friend was getting off work at the plant and got another call. The caller made threats and the line went dead. About two minutes after leaving the plant a white truck sped up behind him and ran him off the road. Again, who was the driver/caller? Why did they not want Terry’s friends asking questions about his death? What was he so afraid of?

Here is a map to provide you with a better visual than what was in the last post. My drawing skills are horrible, so I figured this time it would be better to actually print out a map and add pins so you could get a better idea of where this happened and the short distance covered during this tragedy.

The top point shows the location of the Redbreast Festival. The middle point shows the location of the country store where Terry was last seen alive. The bottom point shows where Terry’s body was found.

Points to prove this was a malicious crime and should be investigated:

It seems that more than just a handful of people possibly knew about the fight with Terry or have information about that night. This investigation has been a flop and no one has been named as a person of interest/suspect or been brought in for questioning in all these years. I’d also like to point out that Jessica Taylor not only called the Sheriff’s Department several times, but she also gave her statement only to have it thrown away instead of being filed and investigated.

1. The childhood friend seems to have major jealousy issues. He allegedly had a problem with the relationship that Terry and Jessica had. He’s been arrested several times in the past and just can’t seem to get it together. He has actually been spoken to about Terry’s death and came up with a whopping 3 lies in less than 5 minutes! The last thing he wanted to say about Terry’s case was, “Just let the damn dead stay dead, in the ground and gone.” Sound likes a lovely person huh?

2. The assault and conversation in the months preceding Terry’s death- As you may recall from the first post, Terry was assaulted a few months before he died. He was walking to his sister’s house when someone pulled up along side him and threw a bottle that caused a severe laceration to his head. As he was being tended to, Terry told his sister about the possibility of people coming after him and killing him. He wanted her to know that whatever happens would NOT be an accident. I wonder if the man that threw the bottle was the same one that remained at the funeral home for almost an hour staring.

3. Terry’s “final goodbye” to his friends- The weekend before his murder was a somber time. Terry spent an evening expressing his gratitude to his friends for always being there for him and making him feel loved. He wanted them to know they were important to him and that he cherished his time with them. I firmly believe that he knew something bad was going to take place soon. He had to have an idea of the tragedy waiting around the corner.

4. The updated timeline- The new timeline has much more information and fills in the time throughout that final night. The childhood friend still plays a huge role. The fact that he knew Terry was deceased and began telling people immediately puts him right in the middle of this. He actually began telling people 6-6 1/2 hours before Terry’s body was even found! Was Terry’s body in the roadway that whole time or was he thrown there sometime in the early morning hours?

5. The missing items- Terry always had his cellphone, backpack, wallet and gold cross necklace with him. These items were missing from the crime scene. Now, riddle me this…how many times have you heard of a hit and run happening where the driver stops their vehicle, backs up and collects items off the deceased? Go ahead, I’ll wait……… Yea, I’ve never heard of it either. This wasn’t just some hit and run. Someone didn’t accidentally hit Terry Rewis, stop his/her car and steal items off his dead body. Hit and run offenders hit someone and take off immediately. This was a deliberate act and those involved took these items before leaving the scene. They thought he had money in the backpack, wanted to remove anything that may contain evidence from the fight and figured the cellphone would have incriminating calls or text messages. Oh! And where is his wallet that has a specific sticker on it?

6. The several people that desperately need to be questioned + witness statements- Throughout the course of this case, I’ve gathered tons of notes and statements that show people have knowledge of this incident and have information in Terry’s death. And another thing that bothers me is the fact that some individuals close to them have known all these years and never came forward to do the right thing.

7. One man has gotten a little worried and antsy now that his possible knowledge has been brought out in the open. He has called Terry’s sister, Jeannie, just to let her know he’s around. He and another convict even tried the tactic of calling Jeannie with an elaborate story to attempt to make her throw in the towel. I guess when the going gets tough the cowards try and scare others into silence. He sure backed off when I told him where he was located, living in a tent!

8. The fact that this case didn’t seem properly investigated to begin with is a red flag to me. Certain people that have certain last names or reputations seem to rotate back pockets in southern small towns. This is one of the reasons the phrase, “Good ol’ Boy’s Club” exists. When cases like this go unsolved/ignored for so long people start to ask who knew who, who was rumored to be involved or have information and who owes who a favor. The people in the community start to lose faith and trust in their local law enforcement and that’s not good. The community should feel comfortable and safe knowing their LE will help find the answers/truth and bring closure/justice. I sincerely hope this sheriff’s office digs in and helps this family.

9. The autopsy report. The scene. He was in the middle of the road, nothing on the sides of the road. There were no belongings or blood on the side of the road, to my knowledge. The list of injuries to his body is horrendous. Just take a look for yourself and see if you think this was an accident or a deliberate act.

The above picture is the inventory sheet listing what was released to the family and what was kept as evidence. Notice there is no wallet, cell phone, green backpack with the contents or gold cross necklace. I also want you to know that the evidence kept is still in a box at the sheriff’s department and it’s never been processed/tested. Can you believe it??? Rewis’ sister was told about the box at the department and laid eyes on the box.

As we just hit the 23rd year of this wicked act, I hope all the knowledge gained in this case will soon bring complete closure to Terry’s family. I had the pleasure,years ago, of speaking with Terry’s mother. She was still suffering and yearns for the day those responsible will be put behind bars and her son is finally set free.

As always, please feel free to call or message with any information you may have related to Terry’s murder. I can promise that you will stay anonymous.

To those responsible: I can also make you a promise. I promise that your day is coming. I refuse to give up and let you continue living outside those steel bars.

Here’s a petition that Jeannie started for all unsolved cases. Feel free to check it out and sign. http://www.change.org/p/increase-attention-on-unsolved-missing-and-murdered-cases-in-georgia

Terry “Bubba” Rewis

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

Terry Rewis…How does one even begin to describe him? Are there even enough words to make people understand the simple, yet complex life that he lived? I’ve had the incredible privilege of talking to his friends and family for quite a while now. Basically, to know Terry was to love Terry. He was one of those rare diamonds you were lucky enough to stumble upon, and that scarcity made you hold on to him for dear life every day thereafter.

Terry Brooks Rewis didn’t have a fairytale childhood. There were six children within this family and Terry’s parents divorced while his mother was pregnant with him. Terry’s mother struggled during her pregnancy, at one point living out of her car for a bit.

Terry’s siblings didn’t get to meet him until he was a little over a year old. He’s remembered as being a good baby, happy and chunky! He and his mother soon moved to Portal, Ga, which was closer to family.

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

Life didn’t quite gain structure and normalcy for Terry though. Around the age of 3, he and his mother were living with a friend of hers. One afternoon Terry’s mom left with an unknown gentleman. Terry was left in the care of her friend. As with any toddler, Terry was adventurous and curious. He wandered outside the home and into town. The stranger that found him claimed he was asking for his mother. It was at this point Terry was put into foster care.

Terry bounced around in foster care until the age of 13-14 years old. He stayed with his father and siblings for a bit, but decided that “structure” wasn’t for him. Terry had become a loner with a gypsy soul. Around the age of 16 he began living life on his own.

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

From the age of 16 on, Terry moved around from place to place. The one person he stayed with the most was Jessica, a dear friend of his. He kept his close friends near and dear to his heart but didn’t stay in one place long. He even hopped on a bus to Oklahoma at one point just for a change of scenery! He lived all over Georgia, coming and going as he pleased. He made money here and there doing construction work and always made time to visit and hang out with his close friends. He didn’t care much for possessions. All he ever carried were his green backpack (which held his drawings, cell phone, charger and a small amount of money) and a gold cross around his neck that he never removed.

I can’t mention Terry’s friends without telling you about Jessica Taylor. Jessica meant the world to Terry. She was his “safe place to land” whenever he needed down time or a place to feel like he belonged to. They loved each other through thick and thin, through time and distance and through those crazy teenage years! Jessica has been an amazing ally and friend throughout this entire process of getting to know Terry and understanding how he lived and died. I can’t thank you enough, Jessica, for putting up with me! All the calls, messages and countless questions from me haven’t gone unnoticed. Thank you!

Photo provided by Jessica Taylor

Photo provided by Jessica Taylor

The last 6-8 months of Terry’s life seemed “normal” for all intents and purposes. Terry was living within the areas of Nunez, Metter and Swainsboro, Georgia. He was working construction with James Kirby, hanging out with friends and family and seemed to be settling down a little. But within this “normal” life, Terry had a shadow on his back that few knew about. Two to three months before his death, Terry was assaulted while walking down the street to visit his sister, Jeannie. Allegedly, a guy was driving by, hollering obscenities at Terry and threw a bottle at him. The bottle struck Terry’s head and left a nasty gash. Terry got to Jeannie’s house and she fixed him up as best as she could. According to Jeannie, Terry told her, “If I ever end up dead, it will not be an accident.” Terry told her that he had a couple people “on him that wanted him gone”. Jeannie, of course, questioned her brother relentlessly about his statements. She wanted to know what was going on and who wanted to hurt him. But Terry wouldn’t talk anymore about it. He didn’t want her to worry. He just wanted her to be aware of the situation.

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

The last two months of Terry’s life went by without incident. He seemed happy. His life seemed routine and natural. But the weekend before his death, that dreadful shadow emerged. He spent the weekend of April 12th with Jessica Taylor and a couple of their friends, which included one of his previous foster brothers. They stayed at the house that Jessica’s father owned. The weekend was typical with the exception of a late night conversation Terry had with Jessica and another friend. He expressed how much their love and friendship meant to him. He reminisced about the past and thanked them for always being there when he needed them the most. It almost seemed like a final goodbye. Terry was questioned about this. He was asked if everything was alright and given support if he needed it. But Terry, as usual, didn’t want anyone worrying about him. He ended the night by saying he just wanted them to know how he felt and how grateful he was. Could Terry have known of the impending doom that awaited him? Did he expect someone to come after him within the next week or so? Did he know a sort of count down had begun?

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

Terry spoke with a friend that following Tuesday or Wednesday and confirmed that he would return to Jessica’s that weekend following a festival he planned to attend.

Here is where the water gets muddy. According to friends and family, Terry was getting a ride to the Redbreast Festival in Midville, GA with James Kirby. They stopped to let Terry get cleaned up and change clothes before heading to the festival around 2pm. Terry enjoyed his time at the festival. There was good music, tailgating, good food and drinking. Terry called Jessica around 8:30pm to say he was having a good time and wanted to hang out a bit longer and then would be on his way to her house. Details get murky from this point.

According to witnesses, there was a fight between Terry and James Kirby. During the fight, someone called the police. The Midville PD arrived at the festival and told the guys to go their separate ways. I haven’t found an incident report and can assume no report was made due to the fight being broken up and the gentlemen leaving. No injuries were reported and no charges were filed. Terry left walking down Hwy 56 some time between 9-9:30pm. (Sadly, Mr. Kirby has since passed away. I’m not sure how he passed. I know he was questioned by the police at the time.) The timeline gets really hazy here. It would’ve taken about an hour to an hour and a half for Terry to reach the Prong Creek bridge, located a few miles outside Swainsboro, GA. Around 6:30am two hunters, a father and son, found Terry dead in the middle of the road on 56. They called 911 and waited for police to get there.

From what I’ve gathered of the crime scene and Terry’s injuries, it looks like more than just a hit and run. There was a great deal of blood at the location of Terry’s body in the road and about 19 or so feet of a blood trail. He was very bruised and battered. The other injuries are absolutely horrendous. There was a pool of blood in the middle of the road, where his body was originally. Then there was a blood trail about 19 feet long leading back towards Midville. The entire crime scene was about 85 ft, according to one report. His green backpack, cellphone, wallet and gold cross necklace were missing. Here is a diagram to better explain the scene.

Crappy drawing provided by me

The individual that struck Terry after his death was cleared and also passed a polygraph. In my opinion, there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of an original hit and run though. And speaking of that, a woman later told Jeannie that as far as she knew, Terry was thrown from the back of a truck going down Hwy 56! Even more mysterious is the fact that Jessica Taylor received a phone call that night, at 3am, from a childhood friend of Terry saying that there had been an accident and Terry was dead! Now tell me this…how in the hell did this person know Terry was dead before he was even found by the hunters at 6:30am?!? How? This person knew at least 3 1/2 hours before Terry was even found that he was already dead! Jessica Taylor went immediately into panic mode! She called every hospital, jail and Sheriff’s department she could think of trying to find Terry. For two hours she called every single place within a 100 mile radius of Midville, GA. Jeannie was informed early that morning about the death of her brother and had the dreadful responsibility of telling her entire family.

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

There was a viewing for Terry before he was cremated. I spoke with the man that identified Terry’s body and he claimed that Terry had wounds to his hands/knuckles that indicated a fight. The day of the service was hard on his family and friends. But one oddity happened that day. A gentleman in a black dodge pick up truck parked across the street from the funeral home and stared for at least 45 minutes. Several of Terry’s friends began to grow agitated and yelled at the driver demanding his name and reason for being there. As soon as they took off after the gentleman, he sped off. Over the next few weeks several of Terry’s friends tried to find out what happened to him. They asked questions and searched high and low for anything that made sense pertaining to his death. One of his friends received a threatening phone call while at work. The mysterious caller simply stated, “Stop digging or you’ll end up just like Terry!” Eventually it started to look like they would never get answers.

Days, weeks, months and years have gone by with no definite answers. Over the years there have been several people that have gotten upset with Jeannie for continuously asking questions. Some people have offered up information only to give a sliver of info and then go silent.

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

Photo provided by Jeannie Ellis

Below are reports of evidence collected, the medical examiner’s report, autopsy report and Terry’s death certificate.

All documents provided by Jeannie Ellis
  • Breakdown of Terry’s last day alive:
    12:30-1:30pm- Terry, riding with James Kirby, stopped at a friend’s house to clean up and change clothes.
    2:00pm- Terry arrived at the festival.
    8:30pm- Terry called Jessica Taylor to say he was staying a little longer and then would head to her house. (He seemed happy and fine.)
    8:30-9:30- The fight occurred, police were called and Terry left the festival walking down Hwy 56 towards Swainsboro. (The screenshots above, showing the messages between Jeannie and the woman, mention the fight being witnessed. Others have come forward saying they witnessed the fight as well.) I also want to mention that Terry walking was not uncommon at all. He tended to walk everywhere he went.
    3:00am- The phone call from the past foster brother to Jessica Taylor. He stated that, “there had been an accident and Terry was dead”. How did he know before 3am? Did someone call and inform him? Was he present during Terry’s death? Was he involved in any way? He has been asked several times over the last 17 years by Jessica and others how he knew that information but has never given an answer.
    6:00-6:15am- A woman returning home from work struck Terry while he was lying in the middle of the road. She thought she had hit a deer. It has been presumed that Terry was already deceased. I do believe he was already dead at that point.
    6:30am- The father and son hunters find Terry dead in the road and call 911.

Things that make me believe Terry was murdered:

  1. The assault on Terry a couple months before his death and his conversation with Jeannie about someone wanting to get rid of him. He even mentioned that, in the event of his death, it would not be an accident.
  2. The “final goodbye” conversation with his friends the weekend before his death.
  3. The fight at the festival. Why? What was it about? We all know festival + drinking alcohol + fighting = disaster. Did the fight continue after Terry left the festival?
  4. The time frame after leaving the festival. If you consider the 3am phone call of his death, that means 9:30pm-3:00am (5 1/2 hours) is unaccounted for. Hwy 56 is pretty well traveled on a Saturday night. If this was only a hit and run, someone would’ve definitely seen him before 6:30am! Was he picked up by someone within the time frame? And we have to remember that Jeannie was told that Terry was thrown from the back of a truck! Who picked him up and threw him out? I have received statements from people about this and I have to say that they all match! Hmmmm….
  5. Terry’s green backpack, wallet, cellphone and gold cross necklace were not at the scene. Terry always carried that backpack. We know he had his cellphone because he used it to call Jessica from the festival. He never removed his necklace. So where are these items?
  6. Looking back at the screenshots above, who did the woman see driving the truck? Why was she so upset? What does she know about that night? And why stop talking to Jeannie before giving all the information?
  7. The 3am phone call. This boggles the hell out of me! How did the childhood friend know Terry was dead 3 1/2- 4 hrs before the body was found? Did he receive a call about it? Did he do it? Was he in on it? Why won’t he talk about it to anyone?
  8. The strange man in the pickup truck at the funeral home is sketchy. Why show up at a viewing and park across the street just to sit and stare for almost an hour?
  9. The strange, threatening phone call received by one of Terry’s friends. Who was it and why did he want him to stop looking into Terry’s death?

Hopefully this case will be solved very soon! We are working very hard to bring those responsible for Terry’s murder to justice. I want to thank Jeannie Ellis for answering that first phone call and not hanging up! She really put her faith in me on this. She dealt with all my phone calls and constant questions! She’s been fighting for her brother for years, constantly hitting wall after wall after wall. But she never gave up. She pushed through all the obstacles and people that constantly bashed her online. Thanks for never giving up and allowing me into your life!

If you have any information about this case please call one of the following numbers.

Jeannie- 912-314-6540

Emanuel County Sheriff’s Dept- 478-237-7526

https://www.facebook.com/justiceforbubbarewis/