Two suspects that were charged with manslaughter had their charge upgraded to murder Wednesday afternoon.
According to Bartow County Sheriff Clark Millsap, additional warrants have been filed for 50-year-old James Phillip Lillie of Cartersville and 47-year-old Kimberly Ann Roberts in the May 16th death of 5-year-old Ashley (Raegan) Danielle Roberts. The death was believed to have been from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after having been playing with a pistol at a campsite off Chitwood Cove Road near White in the Wilderness Camp Road area.
Lillie and Roberts were arrested and initially charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Roberts was also charged with felony violation of probation.
After further investigation and review, both Lillie and Roberts have been charged with murder. The facts of the investigation have not changed. However, with Lillie and Roberts being convicted felons and possessing a firearm which later caused the death of the child, the BCSO states this led to the application of murder charges under Georgia law.
Lillie and Roberts are being held in the Bartow County Adult Detention Center without bond.
EARLIER REPORT
WBHF obtained the incident report from Saturday evening when 5-year-old Ashley (Raegan) Danielle Roberts died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while around her grandmother 47-year-old Kimberly Roberts and 50-year-old James Lillie.
According to the report, BCSO deputies were dispatched to the area of 80 Chitwood Cove in White in reference to a gunshot wound to a juvenile. While responding, the deputy was flagged down by a green Ford truck on Highway 20, which contained Roberts who had a gunshot wound in her head. The deputy shut down the highway and called for EMS.
A nurse was on the highway and started CPR on the child before transporting her to the hospital.
The deputy was told that they were camping on a dirt path off of Chitwood Cove and that they had been drinking, but it wasn’t much. Two individuals went into their tent to fall asleep when they heard a gunshot and the child whimper. They found the young child with a gunshot wound in her head and rushed her to the truck for medical attention.
One individual was irate when speaking to the deputy and stated that they were in the tent sleeping and heard a gunshot. This individual stated that after he knew what happened he ran to the truck with the child.
The hospital then advised the deputy that the child had died. Roberts and Lillie were transported to the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office. Both were charged with receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm by a convicted felon or felony first offender, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless conduct. Roberts received an additional charge of probation violation from an incident that occurred in June of 2019.
While the initial investigation from the Bartow County Sheriff’s Department stated that the 5-year-old died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, her mother stated something different on social media. Mikayla Davis shared a Go Fund Me Account to help pay for her child’s memorial and burial expenses. However, in the post, Davis states:
“My baby will get justice for the person who shot her”
Lillie and Roberts had previously been arrested in January of 2018 by the Euharlee Police Department, where they were charged with six counts of receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm by a convicted felon or felony first offender, aggravated assault, possession and use of drug-related objects, possession of marijuana less than one ounce, and probation violation. Roberts was dismissed on four counts of receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm by a convicted felon or felony first offender and aggravated assault.
Stay tuned to WBHF for more updates on this developing story.