Man arrested in murder of woman on St. Simons Island, police say

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — A man is facing a murder charge in the shooting death of a woman that happened early Saturday morning on St. Simons Island.

Ricky Ricardo Easterling, 50, was arrested on charges of felony murder - possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime; and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to the Glynn County Police Department.

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Police responded to the parking lot of the Retreat Village Shopping Plaza around 1:09 a.m. and found a woman, later identified as 52-year-old Dawn M. Newbauer, had been shot in her upper body.

Glynn County Fire Rescue attempted life-saving measures, but Newbauer was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Detectives determined that Easterling, who was known to Newbauer, was a person of interest.

“GCPD detectives were able to secure several search warrants, which led to the recovery of key evidence believed to be involved in this case, including a firearm,” police said in a news release about the arrest.

This is still an ongoing investigation and anyone who may have information to further assist in this case is asked to contact Silent Witness at (912)-264-1333.

A gofundme has been set up for funeral and memorial expenses.

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