Bryan Rhoden Georgia man arrested Cobb County country club shooting that led to three men being shot dead, including pro golfer, Gene Siller.
Georgia authorities have arrested a man accused of killing golf pro Gene Siller and two other men at Pinetree Country Club golf course in Kennesaw last weekend.
Bryan Anthony Rhoden, 23, was arrested in Thursday in the city of Chamblee, about 30 miles from the golf course, with the help of a fugitive task force, according to a released tweet by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.
Bryan Rhoden, described as the ‘lone shooter’ was charged with three counts of murder, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of kidnapping, Cobb County Police Chief Tim Cox said in a news conference Thursday evening.
Within hours of the triple murder, Rhoden was arrested by the Chamblee Police Department on unrelated charges, including DUI, driving a vehicle without insurance and false identification, WSB-TV reported. He posted bail on Tuesday.
A previous report via the Pharos Tribune told of Bryan Rhoden of Atlanta, Georgia, being arrested following a high-speed chase in White and Tippecanoe counties, Indiana with the man being released from the White County Jail on a $5,000 bond, August 25, 2020.
At the time of his arrest, Rhoden faced a Level 6 felony of resisting law enforcement, as well as aggressive driving, a Class A misdemeanor, and reckless driving, a Class C misdemeanor in White County. He faces an additional charge of reckless driving in a work zone, a Class A misdemeanor, in Tippecanoe County.
How did three men come to end being shot dead?
Cobb County Police say golf pro Gene Siller, 46, was shot in the head by an unidentified gunman at Pinetree Country Club in suburban Atlanta on Saturday after ‘witnessing an active crime‘ unfolding.
The mystery surrounding the murder of a pro-golfer at a Georgia country club had deepened after police revealed the two other men who were also shot dead were out-of-state residents with no known ties to the area.
Siller, who was director of golf at the club and a married father-of-two, was not playing at the time but was walking towards the 10th hole after discovering a white Ram 3500 pickup truck being driven onto the course by the suspect.
Police believe Siller was shot dead after approaching the truck, which had become stuck in a sand trap. His body was found on the green close to the vehicle when police arrived on the scene.
The bodies of two other men – Paul Pierson, 76, of Kansas; and Henry Valdez, 46, of California – were then found dumped in the bed of the truck with gunshot wounds.
Pierson and Valdez were from out-of-state and had no known links to the area or the country club, according to police. The truck being driven by the gunman was registered to Pierson.
It is not clear if Pierson and Valdez knew each other. Pierson is believed to have been in Atlanta for business, according to family friends. Authorities had yet to say how the two dead men came to be fatally shot by the suspect.
Unanswered questions
Police have not confirmed if the crime Siller witnessed was the killing of the two men or another offense. Other golfers on the scene recalled hearing five or six gunshots.
After shooting Siller, the gunman fled the scene.
In the days before the incident, Siller had confronted a man who had been fishing on the golf course and the man became so agitated that Siller called the police, Fox 5 Atlanta reports.
It is unclear if the incidents are related.
Police have released few details about the investigation.
‘As this remains an active case and investigation, we will be limited on the amount of information or details we can release,’ Chief Cox said during an evening press conference. ‘But with the suspect in custody, our investigation will continue to work the case to its completion and move it forward to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.’
Pro Golfer remembered
Pinetree reopened the golf course on Wednesday and Siller’s widow Ashley laid flowers at the 10th hole where her husband was murdered, according to 11Alive.
The hole will remain closed for play for now, according to the club.
The Georgia State Golf Association paid tribute to Siller, saying: ‘All of us at the GSGA are deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred earlier today at Pinetree CC. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gene Siller’s family and friends.’
The Georgia PGA also issued a statement offering its condolences on Twitter: ‘Tragedy has stricken the Georgia Section PGA in the loss of our Member, Gene Siller. Thoughts and prayers for his family and the Pinetree Country Club family.’
Siller leaves behind his wife and their two young sons aged 6 and 7.
A GoFundMe set up to help support his family had already raised more than $654,000 by Thursday.
