John Warnell Morris, 21, pled guilty last week to the July 17, 2022 murder of Sylvania native Dolan Blanchard.
After hearing from both the State and the Defense, Judge Lovett Bennett sentenced Morris to Life in Prison with the possibility of parole plus an additional 15 years to serve on charges of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery, Arson in the Second Degree; and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony. He will not be eligible for parole for at least the first 30 years of the sentence.
Assistant District Attorney Casey Ross Blount of the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office prosecuted the case and outlined the evidence the State would have presented had Morris chosen to go to trial.
That evidence included surveillance video from various businesses and locations in the area as well as information obtained from search warrants executed on phones, social media platforms, and Morris's home that allowed lead investigator Reid Odom and others at the Bulloch County Sheriffs Office to piece together the events leading up to and following Blanchard's murder.
According to ADA Blount, the investigation showed that Morris and Blanchard were part of a group of friends who played Xbox games with one another over the internet.
After playing Xbox online for a couple of hours late on the evening of July 16, 2022, Morris invited Blanchard to drive from Sylvania to Morris's home under the pretense of shooting road signs.
At approximately 1:30am in the early morning of July 17, 2022, Morris shot twice at the stop sign located at the intersection of Maria Sorrell Road and Clito Road before turning and shooting Blanchard a total of three times. Morris then left Blanchard in the middle of the road and took Blanchard's car to a nearby location where he set it ablaze with the murder weapon inside.
District Attorney Daphne Totten would like to thank and commend the Bulloch County Sheriffs Office, especially the efforts of Deputies Rhett Kelley, Matthew Hunter Oglesby, Jonah Gordon, Jody Deal, and others who arrived within minutes of the 911 call and administered emergency aid to try to save Blanchard's life.
The D.A.'s office also commends lead Investigator Reid Odom and Captain Todd Hutchens, whose thorough investigation allowed them to secure a full confession and on scene walk through of the crime by Morris.
Casey Blount, ADA said, "Defendants simply do not plead guilty to Malice Murder, so the fact that this defendant did demonstrates the quality of the investigation. As a result, Morris has been held accountable for his heinous actions while Dolan's family has been spared the distress and uncertainty that comes· with trial and the post-trial appeals process. Our, thoughts and prayers remain with Dolan's parents, Wayne and Alethia Blanchard, as well as the rest of Dolan's family."
Coverage of this case by Grice Connect:
Man found deceased with gunshot wounds near Clito
Victim identified in Bulloch County weekend shooting death
Morris denied bond at first Bulloch court appearance
