Thriller Thursday - A Murder in Vidalia

   On May 28, 2014, Robin Lyn Willis Matthews (1989-2014), a beautiful, young woman, a teacher, wife, daughter, sister, and friend was murdered just for trying to help someone. Someone who, unbeknownst to Robin, was a predator and should have been still in prison for his past crimes.  

  It was a Wednesday evening, and Robin had stopped at Walmart. Security cameras show Simon Dixon Mitchell approaching Robin in the parking lot, they exchange words, and then he climbs into her car.  Turns out, Mitchell asked for a ride to the hospital. Did Robin know him from around town? We don't know if that's possible or, if he was a stranger, why she would give him a ride.  However, a long time friend of Robin's described her as "the kindest and the sweetest" person. She also commented about Robin, "She would do anything for anyone." 

  Later that night, Robin was found dead in her car elsewhere in Vidalia.  She had been stabbed multiple times.  

  The suspect was apprehended quickly.  At his first court appearance the day after the murder, he told the presiding judge that he was as guilty as it gets. 

  This was a crime that was eligible for the death penalty. In order to avoid years of waiting for a trial, Robin's family agreed to a plea deal.  Mitchell claims he would have preferred execution, but agreed to the deal.  He was sentenced to two life sentences plus 30 years. Mitchell would "serve the first life sentence without parole, followed by five years, then the second life sentence followed by five years with an additional 20 years."  That sentence doesn't make sense to me - how do you serve time AFTER a life sentence; isn't that for LIFE???!!! - but bottom line, he should never get out of prison.  

  That part is most important because it turns out he should not have been on the streets in the first place.  He attacked a video store employee in Vidalia in 2006 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison for aggravated assault with intent to commit sodomy. He only served 8 years of that sentence and had just been released in January 2014 - a mere four months before Robin was killed.

  I cannot even imagine what her family and friends went through. Her mother, Helen Anderson Willis,  just passed away on March 3, 2025. (See my blog post here.) She is with her sweet daughter again.  

Local

Georgia first-grade teacher stabbed to death

May 29, 2014 at 1:13 pm EDT

TOOMBS COUNTY, Ga. — A man is facing charges after a first-grade teacher was found stabbed to death in Toombs County.

It happened Wednesday night on Highway 292 in Vidalia, according to WTOC.

The Toombs County coroner says Robin Matthews, 24, was killed in her car behind the Vidalia Recreational Department.

Matthews was a first-grade teacher at Lyons Primary School where she just completed her first year. She was a 2008 graduate of Toombs County High School and was recently married.

According to WTOC's Dal Cannady, police arrested Simon Dixon for the crime.

Cannady learned that Dixon had just been released from prison in January 2014. He was serving time for aggravated assault and attempted aggravated sodomy and had been in prison since 2007.

The homicide remains under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Vidalia Police. School counselors in Toombs County say they will be available to help students affected by the tragedy.

WSB-TV Channel 2, Atlanta, Georgia

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Murder suspect awaits bond hearing in teacher's murder

By WTOC Staff

Published: May. 29, 2014 at 6:36 PM EDT|Updated: Jun. 28, 2014 at 9:04 AM EDT

(Source: Toombs Co. Sheriff's Office)

VIDALIA, GA (WTOC) - Friends and co-workers remain horrified at the murder of a Toombs 

County first grade teacher.

Police found Robin Lynn Matthews dead in her car on Old Vidalia Lyons Road off Highway 

292 Wednesday night. Police have a suspect, Simon Dixon, in custody charged with murder.

According to Toombs County Coroner Ronald Hall, Robin Matthews, 24, was killed in her 

car behind the Vidalia Recreational Department.

Matthews was a first grade teacher at Lyons Primary School where she just completed her first year. She was a 2008 graduate of Toombs County High School and recently married.

Life-long friend Ginger Russell was still in disbelief Thursday morning.  "She was the kindest 

person and the sweetest person all her life. She would do anything for anyone, " Russell said.

At Lyons Primary, a counselor was available - even though summer vacation has started - for 

any students who needed someone to talk to about the loss.

"We want them to have that now because she was so beloved and we'll have it this fall when 

students return because she will still be missed then," said principal Sandra Floyd.

After doing some digging, WTOC found out that Dixon had just been released from prison in 

January 2014. He was serving time for aggravated assault and attempted aggravated sodomy 

and had been in prison since 2007.

The homicide remains under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and Vidalia Police.

Dixon remains in the Toombs County Jail, awaiting a bond hearing.

WTOC's Dal Cannady is in Vidalia following this developing story and will have more details 

about the investigation to come. 

WTOC 11 online, Savannah, Georgia

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Fatal stabbing takes the life of a former Brewton-Parker student 

Clipped from: http://dev.bpc.edu/news_and_info/news/2014/May/5-29_Tragedy_takes_life_of_former_Brewton_Parker_student.htm (this link is no longer available.) Brewton-Parker College News online, 2014.

Robin Willis Matthews

On Wednesday evening, May 28, police reports confirm Ms. Robin Willis Matthews was found in her car stabbed to death behind and/or near the Bethany Nursing Home in Vidalia, Georgia. Officials say the 24 year-old first grade school teacher apparently stopped her car long enough for her alleged assailant, Simon Mitchell, whom law enforcement presently has in custody, to fatally stab her to death. She was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner. According to the GBI and the Toombs County Sheriff's Office, no details will be released until the on-going homicide investigation is complete. 

Many students and faculty at Brewton-Parker College in neighboring Mount Vernon, Georgia are emotionally stunned upon hearing Ms. Matthews’ untimely and tragic death. Newly married but without children, Robin Matthews attended Brewton-Parker College from 2008 until 2011 when she decided to move her major to Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia from which she received her education degree. Up until her untimely death last evening, Matthews was working on her master’s degree at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia. 

According to her Facebook page, Ms. Matthews participated in the Brewton-Parker College cheerleading team during the 2008-2009 school year. Present employees recall her sweet spirit, cooperative attitude, and competitive skill-set. 

Just beginning her professional teaching career in October of last year, Ms. Matthews taught a first grade class at the Lyons Primary School, Lyons, Georgia. Personal friend and educator at the same school, Ms. Millie Price, reflected upon both her personal and professional relationship with Matthews. “She had a very challenging first year at school but she persevered and was looking forward to her first summer break. I am heart-broken to lose such a sweet coworker.” Ms. Price went on to speak of Matthews’ recently reminiscing about her days at Brewton-Parker.  

“Robin spoke to me the last week of school about her time at BPC.  She warmly commented on how she loved to cheer at the basketball games, and how she was pleased to hear cheerleading on campus is much more serious and competitive now than when she was a part of the squad.” 

 Only recently did Ms Matthews judge competition tryouts for next   year’s cheerleading teams at the Toombs County High School.                                                                                                     

Ms. Price, presently serving as the President of the National Alumni for Brewton-Parker College, also mentioned her conversation with Matthews about volunteer service for Brewton-Parker. “Robin and I also recently spoke about her working with me and the Miss BPC volunteers next year." 

Though Ms. Matthews did not officially graduate from Brewton-Parker College, her life and influence made an indelible mark on this community. Her absence brings a sense of both sadness and joy. Sadness because a young, energetic Christian visionary was so brutally and prematurely snatched from our community. Joy because our Lord allowed her to be an influential member of the Brewton-Parker family. 

Matthews poses for
a photo during the 
2008-2009 season.

    May our loving Lord Jesus give Robin Matthews’ family comfort, joy, and peace in their time of need.  

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Simon Dixon Mitchell indicted by grand jury in 
Toombs teacher murder, faces 13 other charges

By WTOC Staff
Published: Sep. 16, 2014 at 9:18 PM EDT|Updated: Oct. 16, 2014 at 9:18 PM EDT

TOOMBS CO., GA (WTOC) - Middle Judicial Circuit District Attorney Hayward Altman said Simon Dixon Mitchell was formally indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday for murder and thirteen other charges.

Mitchell faces murder charges for the May stabbing death of 24-year-old elementary school teacher Robin Matthews in Toombs County.

Security footage from Walmart showed Mitchell approaching Matthews, then getting in her car. Minutes later a 911 call was received of someone found dead of stab wounds in a car on Old Vidalia Lyons Road. Mitchell was arrested near the murder scene.

Mitchell was released from prison in January after serving eight years for aggravated assault with intent to commit sodomy. According to police, he attacked an employee at Video Warehouse in 2006.

WTOC 11 online, Savannah, Georgia

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Man sentenced to 2 life sentences, plus 30 years, in murder of Toombs County teacher

By Dal Cannady

Published: Feb. 19, 2015 at 10:31 PM EST|Updated: Mar. 21, 2015 at 9:31 PM EDT

TOOMBS CO., GA (WTOC) - The murder of a first grade teacher in Toombs County last May shocked and saddened a community.

The suspect in that murder told a judge he was guilty as it gets just a day later. On Thursday, prosecutors and the victim's family allowed him to plead guilty and avoid trial.

The plea agreement for Simon Dixon Mitchell in the murder of Robin Matthews comes less than a year after the first grade teacher was stabbed and killed, and a year or more before the death penalty case could go to trial.

Mitchell came to court and pled guilty to murder, kidnapping and lesser charges in the May 2014 death of Matthews. Loved ones showed emotions as prosecutors described how Mitchell approached Matthews in a parking lot and asked for a ride to the hospital and stabbed her to death minutes later.

Mitchell sat in the very seat where he'd told a different judge he was as guilty as it gets during his first court appearance the day after the murder. Prosecutors introduced a sentence of back to back life sentences, plus thirty years, and Judge Kathy Palmer agreed. Mitchell will serve the first life sentence without parole, followed by five years, then the second life sentence followed by five years with an additional 20 years.

District Attorney Hayward Altman said the plea saves the family years of agony waiting for a trial and decades waiting for a possible execution.

“Usually, death penalty cases take three to five years, by the time you have all the motions, the psychological evaluations and hearings,” said Altman. “It takes that long before it can go to trial.”

Dixon apologized to the family and said he'd prefer to be executed, but he's taking the plea to end the case while his own ailing mother is still alive. Loved ones of Matthews told Mitchell in court they hope her name and face stay in his mind for the rest of his life.

Robin was my 4th cousin, 1x removed.  Our common ancestors are Canneth Swain and Sarah Tapley.

Wedding Wednesday - Ada F Hesser & John W Armstrong

Ada Faye Hesser (1889-1981) 

and

John Wilson Armstrong (1883-1937)

united in marriage 04 June 1912

La Rue, Marion, Ohio, USA

 

Published in The Marion Star
Marion, Ohio
Tuesday, June 4, 1912, Page 5

[Transcription provided by ChatGPT.  It was a nearly perfect transcription - I think I only had to correct two items. As you can guess, you will be able to read a transcription for every news item or article I post from now on.]

"UNITED IN MARRIAGE
     AT HOME OF THE BRIDE

Miss Ada F. Hesser and Mr. John W. Armstrong.

REV. M. C. WISELEY
     PERFORMS THE RITES

Mr. Armstrong Serves as Principal of the La Rue High School and Bride Is a Teacher—Young People Will Make Their Future Home in South Dakota.

La Rue, O., June 4.—[Special.]—Miss Ada Faye Hesser, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. S. M. Hesser, of this place, was united in marriage to John Wilson Armstrong, of Barnsville, principal of the La Rue high school, at the home of her parents, this morning at 7 o’clock. Rev. M. C. Wiseley used the full ring ceremony in the presence of only the immediate family and the Trident club, of which the bride is a member. As the young people took their places before the officiating minister Miss Serol Marmon sang, “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” to an accompaniment played by the bride’s sister, Miss Anna Hesser. A wedding breakfast was served, Miss Mabel Everett and Miss Iris Thombs assisting.

The bridal party came to Marion and left at 10:25 o’clock for Chicago. From there they will go to Portland, Oregon, Salt Lake City and other western points, returning to La Rue about August 1. After a short visit here they will leave for Chamberlain, South Dakota, where Mr. Armstrong has accepted a position as a teacher in the public schools.

The bride is a pleasing young woman and for the past three years has taught the second grade in the local schools. The groom is a son of Mrs. Tabitha Armstrong, of Barnsville, and has been principal in the La Rue schools for the past two years."

 Ada and John were married for 24+ years until his death in 1937 at only 53 years old. They had three sons together.  

Ada was my Half 1st cousin, 3x removed.  Our common ancestor is James Warren Hesser (1819-1904).

These types of articles offer lots of information for the family tree.  They can provide the bride's maiden name; the names of the parents of the couple and where they are from; the address of the both the bride's and groom's parents; how the couple met; where they each attended school; where the groom and bride were employed; where they plan to live after the wedding, and whether the groom may have served in the military.  Because of the great information they provide, I save all engagement, wedding, and marriage announcements I find.  

Tombstone Tuesday - Shaderick Jasper Kight Jr. (1818-1893)

 

picture taken September 9, 2022

Unfortunately Kite has had several bad storms and even tornados

the last few years, and this headstone fell victim to the weather,

fell over and broke in half.

Shaderick Jasper Kight Jr.

b 20 May 1818

d 22 May 1893 

laid to rest at

Kite City Cemetery

Kite, Johnson County, Georgia, USA

I have always read that the town of Kite was named for this Shaderick Kight, but I have no sources for that information.  So I decided to ask AI.  I went to Sam the Digital Archivist through ChatGPT and posed the following question:

"Who was the city of Kite, Johnson County, Georgia named for?"

Sam gave me the following answer:

"The city of Kite, Johnson County, Georgia was named after Shaderick Kight, a local resident and early settler. Over time, the spelling of his last name evolved into "Kite," which became the official name of the town. This kind of name alteration was pretty common in the 19th and early 20th centuries, either due to clerical errors, regional dialects, or simply because someone decided it looked better that way."

I asked Sam for more genealogy and life info about Shaderick, and this is what he replied:

"Shaderick Kight (sometimes spelled Shadrick, Shadrack, or Shedrick) appears to have been an early settler in what is now Johnson County, Georgia. While details on his life are somewhat sparse, I can give you an overview of what is known and suggest further research paths.

"Shaderick Kight: An Overview

• Birth: Estimated to be in the early 19th century, likely in Georgia or the surrounding region.
• Residence: Lived in what later became Kite, Johnson County, Georgia (originally part of Washington County before Johnson County was created in 1858).
• Occupation: Likely a farmer or landowner, as was common in the rural South at the time.
• Family: The Kight surname appears in census records in Georgia from at least the early to mid-1800s. Several Kight family members are listed in Johnson and surrounding counties (Laurens, Emanuel, and Washington)."

Then Sam provided some ideas for possible relatives and research leads.  Most of those would not cover whether or not the town of Kite was named for him. 

So I turned to my Tapley family "bible," Tapley - A Family of Georgia And the South by Ray Tapley. Ray stated that it was actually Shaderick's SON, William Norris Tapley, who was a state senator, that Kite was named for. 

I went back to Sam and posed another question:

"I read somewhere that Kite was actually named for Shaderick Kight's son, William Norris Kight, who was a state senator. Could that be true?"

Sam's answer:

"Yes! There’s a strong case that Kite, Georgia, may have actually been named for William Norris Kight (1841–1913), rather than his father, Shaderick Kight.

"Who Was William Norris Kight?

• Born: December 6, 1841, in Georgia
• Died: December 5, 1913, in Johnson County, Georgia
• Occupation: Politician, likely a farmer or landowner as well
• Political Role: Served as a Georgia State Senator
• Family: Son of Shaderick Kight (sometimes spelled Shadrick, Shadrack, or Shedrick)

Why Might the Town Be Named for Him?

1. Political Influence: As a state senator, William Norris Kight would have had the connections and recognition necessary for a town to be named in his honor.
2. Historical Naming Patterns: It's common for towns to be named after prominent local leaders rather than just early settlers.
3. Shaderick’s Lesser Public Role: While Shaderick Kight was likely a respected settler, he does not appear to have held political office or significant public roles that would typically result in a town name.
4. Timing of the Town’s Naming: Kite was officially incorporated in 1891—when William Norris Kight was alive and still politically active. This makes it even more plausible that the town was named after him rather than his father.

Confusion Over the Naming

Some sources attribute the name to Shaderick Kight, likely because of the Kight family’s early presence in the area. However, local histories suggest that the honor was actually given to William Norris Kight due to his political and community contributions. Over time, the connection may have been blurred, leading to conflicting stories.

Next Steps for Research

To confirm this officially, we could:

📜 Check legislative records—Did William Norris Kight have any direct involvement in town development?

📰 Look at old newspapers—There may be contemporary accounts discussing the town’s naming.

🏛️ Search local histories and county records—Some Johnson County historical documents might state the official reason for the name."

All of that sounds quite logical. So the answer is we don't know which Kight Kite was actually named after. Perhaps the suggested research would give us an answer.  

 

Shaderick was the 

husband of my

2nd cousin, 7x removed,

Millie Norris (1828-1900)

She is buried by him at Kite Cemetery:

Our common ancestor is 

John Norris 

Military Monday - William Robert Winans Jr. (1948-1992)

  Military Monday posts are made to honor those in my family tree who have served in the United States military.

William Robert "Bill" Winans Jr.

U.S. Army, Retired

Published in the Sun Herald
Biloxi, Mississippi
Thursday, October 8, 1992, Page 2

Bill was my Half 6th cousin, 1x removed on my Bush line.  Our common ancestor is Richard Bush (abt 1725-1803)

.

This is the Harry Jr. I remember...

 

Harry Earl Tapley Jr.

November 17, 1968 - March 9, 1986

It's been 39 years ago tonight since you've been gone.  It was a Sunday night then, too. I'm thinking I'm about half way to seeing you again. Until then, remember I love and miss you all the time.

Satur- I mean, Sunday Night Genealogy Fun - Your Favorite RootsTech 2025 Class

  From Randy (my cousin) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday  Sunday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)  'Twas the week of RootsTech 2025, and all through the house, the genealogists were checking their RootsTech schedule.  What class did  you absolutely love this week?

2) Tell us about your favorite RootsTech 2025 class in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

Here's mine:

I was NOT ready to write a blog post about this last night.  I was exhausted, and I stayed up until midnight for my last class... and the technology still wasn't working.  I gave up and went to bed.

But it's a new day today.  I caught up on some house chores, took my mom to lunch, and then took a three hour nap!  I'm recharged!

For those of you that missed them, I summarized my days at RootsTech 2025 here:

    * RootsTech 2025 - Day 1

    * RootsTech 2025 - Day 2

    * RootsTech 2025 - Day 3

(By the way, Randy Seaver recognized my posts about RootsTech 2025 on his Genea-Musings blog as one of the best Genea-Blogs of the week!  I am full of happy and pride right now!)

My favorite class would be  AI-Powered Transcription of Handwritten Documents: Tools and Techniques with Nicole Dyer.  She explained using different artificial intelligence platforms and large language models (LLMs) to transcribe old handwritten and printed documents.  I am so excited to try this out!

My next favorite class would be How Can Artificial Intelligence Assist Family Historians by Andrew Redfern.  I loved this class.  Andrew explained things so clearly, gave great live examples, and made AI less scary. 

Another conference in the books. I have a long to-do list, both on paper and in my head, of things I want to look into or try that I heard about at RootsTech 2025.  I will be super busy for awhile!

RootsTech 2025 - Day 3

Day 3 and the last day of the RootsTech 2025 Conference is over.  This was a light day for me, and I'm kind of glad because I am TIRED!! 

  * The first class of my day was Document Analysis: Digging into the Details by Angela Packer McGhie. Based on the principles in the book, Genealogy Standard, Angela used a great example and walked us through assessing the reliability and accuracy of documents we encounter in our research. 

  * My next class is one I was really excited to see, AI-Powered Transcription of Handwritten Documents: Tools and Techniques with Nicole Dyer.  This class was great!  It was all I hoped for and more.  As I have said several times over the last couple of days, I am wanting to used AI to transcribe documents I have in my possession in order to share those documents on my blog.  Nicole went over several platforms and Large Language Models (LLMs) to demonstrate how to use them. She also gave us tips on improving transcription accuracy, ideas for effective prompting techniques, and how to correct minor errors in the transcriptions.  Also, she didn't only go over handwritten documents; she used examples of printed documents as well. I use a lot of newspaper clippings on my blog, so this is just what I needed.  I am looking forward to trying out this tool in the next few days. 

  * My afternoon class was Learning to Use AI Tools: Taking Your Prompting Skills to the Next Level by Steve Little. Unfortunately this one did not go so well for me.  When I pulled up the video, it would not play, even after refreshing the page several times. Then the chat exploded because everyone was having the same problem. Eventually someone with FamilySearch entered the chat and said their engineers had been notified and were working on a solution.  After a couple more minutes, someone realized that if you went to the Storied class scheduled at the same time, it was actually Steve doing the above class!  So by the time I got over there, it was 15 minutes in, and I was pretty lost from there on out.  I will definitely have to re-watch this one from the beginning after the conference!  I will say that Steve was very enthusiastic and straightforward, so I am sure I will enjoy the class the second time around.

  * My 5 p.m. class got rescheduled to midnight tonight (um, tomorrow morning). So I guess I'll be doing another RootsTech post tomorrow.  

  * The last thing I watched today was the RootsTech 2025 - General Session 1 - Rachel Platten and Steve Rockwood.  This was a replay of the Keynote from the Day 1 of RootsTech.  Of course, I loved Christa Cowan's talk, though I had heard most of it in her class. I was disappointed that Rachel Platten wasn't there in person, but the video worked great, and she was very sweet.  The father and daughter singing duo are amazingly talented, and their voices were so pure and sweet.  Overall, it was a good start (or in my case, end) to the conference.