A Cleveland man has been arrested and charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Stephanie Smith, 42, also of Cleveland.

According to a press release from Lt. Rick Kelley of the White County Sheriff’s Office, 35-year-old Justin Scott Mayo came to the sheriff’s office and reported that his girlfriend was unresponsive at their house.

White County deputies along with EMS immediately responded to 794 Stanley Nix Rd. Once at the residence deputies found the victim deceased in her bedroom. The victim had significant injuries and trauma to her body. White County Sheriff’s Office Investigators along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation responded to the scene. Investigators processed the scene, collected evidence, and conducted numerous interviews.

During the investigation they discovered Mayo and the victim had been involved in a verbal altercation in Helen late the previous night. The victim’s body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Decatur for an autopsy. The investigation is ongoing.

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