Douglas County

Man wanted in ex-girlfriend’s Ga. murder found dead in creek, police say

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — The man deputies in Douglas County were looking for who allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend on Friday, was found dead in a Villa Rica creek, police say.

Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds said in a news conference on Monday that Harold Dakers, 34, was accused of the murder of Kaleshia Lyons, 29.

Pounds said, at the time of the murder, Dakers was out on bond on charges related to Lyons in a neighboring county. He did not comment on what those charges are.

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After the incident with Dakers, Lyons moved from Carrollton to her grandmother’s Lithia Springs home, where she was killed.

Lyons was home alone at the time of the murder, Pounds said. Lyons’ cause of death has been determined to be blunt force trauma to the face and head, the sheriff confirmed.

On Tuesday morning, police with the Villa Rica Police Department announced a citizen spotted Dakers entering in the woods near Villa Trace and N. Lassiter St. After officers entered the woods to search for Dakers, he was seen next to a creek with a handgun. Dakers then ran through the creek, where officers lost sight of him.

Officers said that is when they heard a gunshot. Dakers was found shortly after that, dead in the creek with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

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Channel 2 Action News learned that Dakers was arrested in June in Villa Rica after he allegedly choked a woman to unconsciousness, stole her Apple Watch and raped her before allowing her to leave. He was charged with rape, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and theft by taking.

Villa Rice police say because of the rape charge, they are unable to confirm to Channel 2 Action News if these charges are the ones Dakers was out on bond for at the time of Lyons’ murder.

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