Many questions remain about a suspended Georgia police lieutenant, who is believed to have murdered his estranged wife, the man friends said she was seeing and, eventually, himself.
The latest question: Did Cory Sasser have help tracking down his victims?
Action News Jax and our news partner in Atlanta, WSB, obtained a letter from the district attorney in Glynn County to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that asks "to determine whether any charges are appropriate for individuals who may have assisted him as a party to the crime."
MORE: Cory Sasser: 10 things to know about Glynn officer dead after standoff | Neighbors describe final moments of Glynn County officer's life
In an Action News Jax exclusive, reporter Courtney Cole spoke to the lawyer who consulted one of the victims, John Hall Jr.
He said he believes Cory Sasser should have been behind bars the night of the killings.
On the night of Tuesday, June 26 at Moondoggys Pizza, Katie Sasser feared for her safety.
According to a Glynn County Police Department report filed by Katie, she was eating dinner when Corey Sasser arrived.
He walked in Katie’s general direction while making a gun gesture with his hands.
At that time, Katie and Cory Sasser were in the process of getting a divorce.
Action News Jax is now learning that John Hall Jr. was there that night.
Friends told Action News Jax that Katie and Hall were "seeing each other."
"He was there with some other people and Sasser, Corey Sasser, came in...was on the other side of the bar, I believe,” said Jason Clark.
Clark, who was Hall's lawyer, said that wasn't the first time he had witnessed a hostile interaction between Katie and Cory.
“There was the previous incident in May. To my knowledge, that would have been the only two things Mr. Hall would have witnessed,” Clark said.
What we’re learning about a threatening incident that happened between Cory Sasser and his estranged wife, last Tuesday—and who tried to speak to Glynn County Police to prevent a tragic outcome like this...on @ActionNewsJax at 5. pic.twitter.com/0hCMT45acx
— Courtney Cole (@CourtneyANJax) July 3, 2018
Clark said that, on June 26, Hall was in fear for his own safety, as well as Katie’s.
"We agreed to meet at my office the next day to follow up to make sure the police would do something about it and take it seriously,” Clark said.
Two days later, authorities believe Cory shot and killed Katie and Hall before taking his own life.
“We told the investigator in that meeting that we expected, if something was not done someone was going to be hurt or killed,” Clark told Action News Jax.
Clark believes the deaths could have been avoided.
"Had some immediate action initially been taken, at least then the rest of us would have had the chance to see what we could have done for the future," he said.
Clark said Hall feared the Glynn County Police Department wouldn't take the situation seriously.
Clark believes those fears came to fruition.
“I think it’s fairly obvious. Had an arrest been made, Tuesday night, Wednesday, Wednesday night, Thursday morning, Thursday afternoon, the events that happened Thursday night would not have occurred,” Clark said.
Clark told Action News Jax he believes there was enough probable cause to arrest Cory Sasser following the incident at Moondoggys.
Since that didn't happen, he is requesting a copy of the department’s investigation into the incident on June 26, a copy of communications with judicial authorities and a copy of departmental and operational procedures when making an arrest.
“The final thing I’ve requested is what policies, operating procedures, directives they’ve changed after this investigation as a result of what happened Tuesday, June 26 through Thursday, June 28,” Clark said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Action News Jax contacted the Glynn County Police Department about Clark’s concerns and received this response from Brian Scott, the department's chief of staff:
"Chief John Powell assigned the Criminal Investigations Division to investigate whether a new offense had been committed by Robert Sasser. The investigation revealed that probable cause did not exist to support that Mr. Sasser committed a new criminal offense during the incident. The investigation did suggest, however, that Mr. Sasser may have been in violation of bond conditions set by Magistrate Judge Flay Cabiness on May 24th. The findings of the investigation was presented to both Magistrate Judge Cabiness and CSRA Probation Services Inc., the private company contracted by the Court to monitor Mr. Sasser’s release from jail. CSRA Probation Services Inc. was in contact with the District Attorney’s Office in an attempt to schedule a hearing to determine whether Mr. Sasser’s bond, which was issued on May 24th, should be revoked.
"It is important to know that a law enforcement officer does not have the authority to revoke a person’s bond without an order from the Court.
"The Glynn County Police Department will be releasing all reports, documents, notes, and videos associated with the domestic incident on May 13th, the stand-off on May 17th, and the Moondoggy’s Pizza incident on May 26th in the coming days. The decision to release this information was made by Chief Powell in an effort to be completely transparent."
Cox Media Group
