A groom from Georgia has been indicted on a charge of felony murder after allegedly shooting dead his wife's stepfather at their wedding reception. Aaron White, 44, is accused of killing Jason Maughon, also 44, during the celebration in Butts County on 14 July 2024.
The incident began when an unruly guest was asked to leave by the bride, Kailagh White, who is Maughon's stepdaughter. The guest became angry, and when the groom intervened, Maughon allegedly punched White in the face. Maughon and the guest then left the reception but returned later with guns. According to Butts County Sheriff Gary Long, Maughon fired first, striking White in the hand. White then ran to his vehicle, retrieved his firearm, and shot Maughon seven times.
Police arrived around 1 a.m. and found Maughon dead at the scene. The Towaliga Judicial Circuit District Attorney, Jonathan Adams, requested assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. An initial grand jury convened in 2025 determined that White had acted in self-defence. However, after receiving new ballistics evidence, Adams took the case to a second grand jury in January, which returned a murder indictment earlier this month.
Adams stated that the new evidence convinced him White had the right to defend himself but not to use deadly force. Sheriff Long, however, publicly disagreed with the decision, calling it the 'clearest case of self-defence' he had seen in 30 years of law enforcement. 'I have an innocent man sitting in my jail,' he said.
White's defence attorney, Bret Dunn, accused Adams of making a politically motivated decision to boost his campaign for Superior Court Judge. Adams countered that Dunn was running for state senate and similarly motivated by political gain. White has claimed he acted in fear for his life, stating Maughon had threatened to kill him.
A judge set a $100,000 bond for White, which he has posted. His next court date is yet to be scheduled.
