Vann Brown was senselessly murdered at the age of 39 while attending a wedding and reception on Dec 31, 2019/Jan 1, 2020. The event was held at 1200 Woodrow Harper Rd in Ambrose, GA, which is the home of Jeffrey Harper. The cause of death is said to be asphyxiation resulting from multiple blunt force trauma. You may ask yourself, how does a wedding reception end with a murder and you wouldn’t be alone asking such a question. Weddings are supposed to be blissful and full of smiles and laughter. This one, however, turned ugly with lots of anger, intoxication and murder.
Due to the current trials of this case, the information I’ve received from eyewitnesses won’t be on this post, either at all or in their entirety. I do not want to compromise the trials and am hopeful justice will be served. After verdicts are rendered I’ll do an additional post to include everything I have. Please understand that I just want justice for Vann and have no intention of dangling anything over anyone’s head. With that being said, let’s get to it!
Vann was attending the reception of Travis and Sara Heidenreich. At some point, after midnight, Vann was supposedly ordered to leave the event. Evidence during Justin Anderson’s trial, an interview video of Justin and GBI Agent Seacrist, shows Justin saying that Kelli Harper, Jeffrey’s wife, was yelling for people to get Vann off her property. He stated that she was accusing Vann of groping girls and even flirting with her. Justin claimed that he, Jason Anderson and Cam Coffee escorted Vann up the hill some 200 yards to his truck. Within a short amount of time, Jeffrey Harper and others were storming towards Vann. Cam Coffee testified that Vann argued back with Jeffrey Harper and Morgan Lewis about halfway to his truck. Coffee claims that when Vann reached his truck he cussed and was reaching for his gun. He then threw Vann to the ground, causing an injury to himself that rendered him unable to walk at the time.
Now, I have to throw my two cents in here! No one I’ve spoken with has mentioned Vann being inappropriate at all during that evening. In fact, most people have mentioned the lack of clothing worn by the young women, the way those women were acting and the amount of alcohol Jeffrey Harper and several other men had consumed since around noon that day. How much and which statements are true? Decide for yourself. Here are a couple of still shots taken from the wedding video that is posted on YouTube and a picture retrieved off social media.
Vann Brown looking confused, in my opinion. It’s almost like he’s being accused of something. The woman he’s looking at resembles Kelli Harper, but I don’t know that for sure. A still shot from the wedding video on YouTube. Vann is talking to a gentleman that I was told is possibly JP Harper. Again, I’m not 100% sure who Vann is speaking with. Another still shot from the wedding video. A few watch as he walks away. Why? I have no idea. It just struck me as odd. And another still shot. The guy in the white ball cap seems to be talking with someone as Vann looks on. I was told the woman standing next to Vann is Kelli Harper, but I honestly don’t know for sure.
Ok, so let’s get back to Vann being on the ground. According to the testimony of Annsley Coffee, someone came to the reception tent saying someone had been shot, possibly Cam Coffee. Naturally, she took off toward the scene. She said, upon arriving, Vann was on his back with Jeffrey Harper sitting on his torso. She also stated that Justin Anderson was holding Vann’s left arm down and Jason Anderson was holding his right arm down. There were, to her, two unknown men holding down Vann’s legs. As she got closer to Vann, she ordered everyone off him. She pushed Jeffrey Harper out of the way and knew immediately that Vann was dead. She claimed his pupils were dilated, no pulse and was blue in color. There was blood all around his head and Matt Lewis was carrying a bent baton.
Two cents time again! I’ve got to be careful here because I’ve been told and shown a great deal that gives me a pretty narrowed down timeline of these events. And if it hasn’t been released publicly, I don’t want to risk anything delaying or sabotaging the trials. Everyone knows Vann was short. Most of the men that have been arrested tower over him. Vann never got his hands on a gun. Never! Previous testimony proves that and Daniel Anderson, supposedly, got Vann’s gun and put it in his truck. Law enforcement retrieved it from his truck that night. (EDIT: It has been brought to my attention that I made a mistake! No excuse for it. I should’ve double checked facts! There was a gun retrieved from Daniel’s truck, but Kelli Harper actually turned over Vann’s gun to law enforcement.)So, with NO WEAPON, the assumed intention to leave the property and his size…it took 5 men to hold Vann down, beat him and ultimately cause his death??? “Excessive” doesn’t even begin to describe this horrible crime. And the bent baton?? Vann had two wounds to the top of his head caused by the baton. Matt Lewis testified that Justin Anderson told him to get rid of the baton. He took it to the woods and hid it under some pine straw. The following day Matt told law enforcement about the baton and what he did with it. So again, it took all these men to do this and claiming they only acted because he had a gun, that he in fact NEVER HAD? I just don’t buy it. I can’t. There’s more to it. There’s rumors going around and I have to tell ya, a couple of them kinda add up.
Matt Lewis plead guilty for hiding the baton. Charges were dropped on Jay Turk, which I don’t agree with. Justin Anderson was found not guilty of murder and aggravated assault and guilty of making false statements and tampering with evidence. I don’t agree with that verdict either!
Above are the mugshots of those arrested initially. Now, 911 was called at 12:50am. It was too late. Vann had already succumbed to the brutal hell he was put through in that short span of time. I don’t have much that I can share about the time after law enforcement arrived on scene except there seems to be a chunk of time the accused had to themselves instead of being hauled in immediately. I don’t think this was handled 100% professionally due to Harper’s name, his money and that good ol’ boy system. I think some people were held there until around 5am or so, including Vann’s body. But I have to say, the new development and arrest of Joey Anderson, the father of Justin and Jason, has eased my worries some. Mr Anderson attempted to tamper with the jury in his son’s trial.
The wedding video. Feel free to watch and pause frequently during the reception to look at everyone. Some things look odd…
I believe Jason Anderson’s trial is set for July 31st and Jeffrey Harper’s is set for August 29. I honestly hope for justice for Vann and his friends and family. They’ve been through hell and deserve closure.
At the end of the day, I’m glad there have been arrests made and trials underway. I just still think there’s more to this than Vann being accused of flirting and told to leave, tempers flared and tragedy unfolded. I wonder if there was something beforehand that happened and caused hostility. I’ll be sure to add an additional post in the future. And remember, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I’ve made no remarks about who I think is responsible for anything. I just stated that it doesn’t add up to me, I don’t agree wholeheartedly with dropped charges and the last verdict and I don’t understand it taking that many men to subdue one individual.
Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to speak with me. I really appreciate your help and dedication to Vann and his family.
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 him 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 time to feel like he belonged. 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 with saying he just wanted them to know how he felt and how grateful he was. Could Terry have know 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 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 previous foster brother 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. 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:
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.
The “final goodbye” conversation with his friends the weekend before his death.
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?
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….
Terry’s green backpack, 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?
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?
The 3am phone call. This boggles the hell out of me! How did the past foster brother 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?
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?
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 Lead Investigator David McVey
I have been following the story on Steve Stephens, 37, since Easter Sunday. It has been so confusing as to why this man decided to turn his life into one of chaos and murder. On Sunday, he shot and killed 74 year old Robert Godwin, Sr. while videoing the entire act. He posted the video to his Facebook account and then did a live stream confessing to and discussing the murder. It was a seemingly random murder and Stephens blamed his actions on a woman named Joy Lane. Cleveland police issued a $50,000 reward for information leading to his capture and arrest and the FBI added him to the ‘Most Wanted’ list. Pennsylvania State Police spotted Stephen’s car this morning in Erie as he left a McDonald’s. After a short pursuit and trying to get him to pull over, Stephens stopped his car across from an elementary school and shot and killed himself.
I’m guessing all the facts and little unknown secrets about this man will come to light within the week, but it is still so unnerving! In one of the live streams he did on Monday, he confessed to killing 13 people. He gave locations and street names as well. Now, I’m not saying he did or didn’t commit any other murders but I find it very possible. He didn’t seem to hesitate when shooting Mr. Godwin on Sunday. This seemed to be an act he had committed before. He was calm, collected and didn’t seem to mind taking another individual’s life. I’ve read reports that say his sexuality played a key role in him deciding to go on this rampage. Others say it’s from the breakup with his girlfriend. Perhaps they are tied together. What are your thoughts???
Regardless of the ‘why’… crimes connected to social media seem to be on the rise these days. People are committing terrible crimes and going live on Facebook or uploading the terrible videos they’ve made. I just don’t understand. Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this particular incident as well as others that have ended up on social media. Thanks for reading!
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Life and Lemons 