Date of Crime: 11/18/88

Place of Crime: Star Light Motor Inn, Rte 161, Flanders Road, East Lyme, CT.

Victim: Charles Eagle DOB 08/03/41 / LKA Rte1 Box 1765 Chickamauga,GA.

Accused: Jerry Still DOB 11/03/45   /   LKA Bostick Prison, Hardwick, GA. 

   On 11/18/1988 Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad Detectives assisted by the New London State’s Attorney Office responded to the scene to conduct an investigation into to a homicide which had taken place at the Star Light Motel in East Lyme, CT.

  State Police Detectives discovered a mattress on the bed heavily soaked in blood and also what appeared to be bullet defects in the material. There was no body located in the room.  At that time an extensive criminal investigation was conducted to include the collection of physical and forensic evidence and the interviewing numerous witnesses in this case. As a result State Police Detectives learned that in November 1988 the accused Jerry Still and the victim Charles Eagle had come to Connecticut from Georgia to work in the Montville. Connecticut State Police learned that while in Connecticut both Charles Eagle and Jerry Still were staying in the room at the Star Light Motor Inn. Further investigation also revealed that a Cadillac belonging to Charles Eagle was missing from the Connecticut crime scene.

   Investigation led to the discovery of Charles Eagle’s Cadillac in Georgia. State Police Detectives located the accused Jerry Still in Georgia and interviewed him in regards to this case but Jerry Still offered no information as to the whereabouts of Charles Eagle. Major Crime detectives continued the investigation and processed the Cadillac owned by the victim, Eagle.

   As a result of the investigative information developed in this case linking the death of Charles Eagle to Jerry Still an arrest warrant was issued on 06/05/1990 by the New London State’s Attorney for the arrest of Jerry Still charging him with the murder of Charles Eagle. 

   Connecticut State Police Detective’s searched for suspect Still and located him incarcerated in Georgia on a separate murder charge in their state. The Connecticut warrant was lodged against him in Georgia to assure his return to Connecticut.

   In May 2007 the accused, Jerry Still, requested a trail date in Connecticut on the outstanding murder warrant. Accused Still was returned to Connecticut on 4/18/07 on the outstanding murder warrant.

   Accused Jerry Still agreed to a plea agreement by the New London County State’s Attorney Office and was sentenced on 11/05/07 to 20 years in prison to be served concurrently with his life sentence in Georgia. Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad Detectives interviewed accused Jerry Still who advised them that he had buried the body of the victim Charles Eagle in a shallow grave in a wooded area in the town of Newnan, Georgia.

  Connecticut State Police Detectives returned Jerry Still to the state of Georgia.  Jerry Still led Connecticut State Police Detectives and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to a location in the town of Newnan Georgia and pointed out an area where he said he had buried the body of Charles Eagle.

   On 11-27-07 the area was searched by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation detectives and Connecticut State Police Detectives. Human remains believed to be those of Charles Eagle were located at the site. The remains will be sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Georgia for positive identification.  

   This release will be updated when new information is received in regards to this case.

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Lt. J. Paul Vance