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On Thursday, December 2, 2021, Decatur County Deputies were dispatched to the area of Old Whigham Road and Earl Hester Road in Climax, Georgia in reference to a welfare check on two females that had been reported coming out of the woods partially naked.

DCSO Patrol Deputies arrived and found that the two females had been recently robbed with a firearm and carjacked. The female victims advised DCSO Patrol Deputies that the male offender, later identified as Richard Perkins forced their vehicle off the road and got out of his vehicle brandishing a firearm. The victims told DCSO Deputies they were robbed of money, cellphones, and other items and forced to remove their clothing. The victims also reported that Perkins began shooting at them and they fled into the nearby woods. Perkins later got in and drove away in the one of the victims’ vehicles.

The female victims reported that a male subject was in the vehicle with Richard Perkins and drove away once he began shooting the firearm. DCSO Investigators Vincent Edmond and Adam Mobley responded to investigate the incident. DCSO Deputies later executed a search warrant at Richard Perkins residence and found evidence related to the armed robbery and vehicle carjacking.

The following day, Bainbridge Public Safety Patrolman Xavier Brown located a suspicious vehicle in a local cemetery that was found to belong to the female victim.

The victim’s car was later processed by DCSO Crime Scene Inv. Terry Phillips and forensic evidence related to Perkins was found.

Felony warrants were taken for Perkins by Edmond and DCSO Deputies continued to search for him. On Sunday, December 5, 2021, Perkins called Edmond and told him that he was in Gainesville, Florida and surrendered to authorities there. DCSO Investigators later traveled to Gainesville and interviewed Perkins and obtained a warrant to search and process Perkins’ Buick Sedan.

DCSO Investigators found evidence related to the armed robbery and vehicle carjacking on December 2 in the Sedan.

Perkins was later extradited back to Decatur County and his bond was denied by the Decatur County Magistrate Court. Perkins remains in the custody of the Decatur County Jail. This investigation is still remains active and anyone with information is encouraged to call Inv. Vincent Edmond at (229) 400-8020.