Rittenhouse
A Waycross man and his wife were arrested on murder charges Tuesday after they were charged in the deaths of his mother and her partner.
Bernard Rittenhouse, 55, of Waycross, has been charged with two counts of felony murder and one count of burglary, in connection to the deaths of Charles M. Barnett and Virginia D. Thomas. Rittenhouse is Virginia Thomas’ son.
On Monday, the GBI Douglas Regional Office was requested by Ware County Sheriff Carl James to conduct a death investigation. A relative made a 911 call at 8:49 a.m. saying Barnett, age 75, and Thomas, age 73, were found deceased at their home in Ware County. Deputies arrived and found the couple deceased with apparent gunshot wounds.
After investigation, Janet Rittenhouse, age 53, of Waycross was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of felony murder and one count of party to the crime of burglary. Rittenhouse was booked into the Ware County Jail along with her husband.