Rockdale Citizen

COVINGTON — Murder suspect Hannibal Wayne McMullen surrendered to Covington Police Department investigators at approximately 5 p.m. Saturday after a nearly two-day manhunt.

McMullen, 47, is charged with one count of murder in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Ketitra Techelle Jones, 26, of Covington. McMullen is currently being held in the Newton County Detention Facility.

McMullen turned himself in at the Newton County Sheriff's Department. CPD Capt. Ken Malcom said law enforcement had been in touch with him via cell phone and he had indicated he would surrender either at the police or sheriff's departments.

Officials from the CPD along with Mr. McMullen's family members and friends had been communicating with McMullen via cell phone and text messaging since late Friday afternoon requesting his surrender, according to Malcom.

"The Covington Police Department is grateful to those individuals who helped convince McMullen to surrender," Malcom said in a press release.

Malcom said McMullen had been in the Covington and Atlanta area in the hours after the shooting.

"He was very mobile during this time," he said."We felt all along we were going to apprehend him quickly through us locating him or through his surrender."

In addition to the CPD, the Newton County Sheriff's Office, Georgia State Patrol and U.S. Marshal's Service assisted with the search.

The victim, Ketitra Techelle Jones, 26, of Covington, had a Temporary Protective Order against McMullen, Malcom said. Jones and McMullen were in a romantic relationship that was severed several months ago, he said.

The shooting occurred at 10:51 a.m. Friday on Washington Street near Carroll Street. Witnesses heard several gun shots and saw a gun firing shots through the window of a blue Toyota Corolla into a silver Dodge Ram truck as both vehicles were traveling north, according to police.

The truck then crashed into the support pole of an awning at the Pure gas station on Washington Street.

Rev. James Russell was at the Pure station getting a cup of coffee when he said he heard gunshots and then saw the truck crash into a pole at the gas station.

Russell said he opened the door to the truck and saw Jones slumped over.

She looked at me and she took her last breath," he said.

Staff Reporter Michelle Floyd contributed to this report.