'Hatchet man of Hinesville' arrested again

Five months after 20-sentence ends man arrested

Updated: Feb 11, 2017, 2:04 AM

Published: Feb 11, 2017, 2:08 AM

Five months after being released from a 20 year prison sentence on an assault conviction, Calvin Leon Nelson was arrested this week in Long County for an alleged sexual abuse.

Long County Sheriff Craig Nobles confirmed Nelson was arrested but deferred question to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Region 14 office in Kingsland.

Special Agent in Charge Stacy Carson would say only that the GBI is investigating the matter. She said her office was called by the LCSO to assist in the arrest. She would not elaborate, saying the case was under investigation.

Nelson earned the nickname “Hatchet man of Hinesville,” after he attacked a woman in the parking lot of Walmart in August 1996.

He was convicted of aggravated assault, kidnapping with bodily harm and armed robbery during a jury trial about a year after he attacked Mara Colon.

According to original articles and public records, Colon said Nelson came up behind her, slipped a paper bag over her head and repeatedly punched her. Nelson took her car keys and dragged her toward the vehicle, pushed her onto the floorboard and started to drive away.

As she was thrown into the car, the bag slipped off her head. The records say she begged to be let go and Nelson threatened to kill her, showing Colon a hatchet he had strapped to his leg. But Nelson ran the car into a curb, giving Colon the chance to jump out of the car. Nelson also jumped out and started to attack her.

Two Walmart employees heard Colon’s cries for help and jumped in to help. Nelson ran off.

He was caught nearby by the Hinesville Police Department.

According to news articles, HPD also considered Nelson a person of interest for a similar attack on a woman behind the First United Methodist Church of Hinesville a week prior to Colon’s attack.

During Nelson’s trial, Liberty County Superior Court Judge Robert Russell sentenced Nelson to two consecutive life sentences without parole for the kidnapping and armed robbery and a 20-year concurrent sentence for the aggravated assault charge.

However, Nelson won two separate appeals at the appellate and state Supreme Court levels and earned a resentencing hearing.

He was given 20 years and served until Sept. 7. According to the Georgia Department of corrections, Nelson is a habitual offender and has been in and out of prison since 1973.

The Courier will follow this story as it unfolds.

Interstate lane closures, detours set

Traffic shift in effect for 20 days near Savannah Airport

Coastal Courier

Updated: Apr 17, 2018, 9:30 AM

Published: Apr 17, 2018, 9:54 AM

The Georgia Department of Transportation continues to improve highway infrastructure throughout the area. As a result, work on construction and maintenance projects will continue through Saturday. Closure schedules may change due to weather or other factors.

Lane closures by county are scheduled as follows:

Bryan County

· From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday I-16 Westbound from US 80/Exit 143 to SR 119/Exit 137 will have single-lane closures for bridge rehabilitation work.

Chatham County I-95 Resurfacing

· There will be continuous double-lane closures and a shift in traffic patterns for 20 days near the Savannah Airport as approach slabs at Pipemakers Bridge are replaced. Lane closures will be in effect between mileposts 103 and 104 Monday, and ramp closures at Exit 102 will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday and Tuesday.

Liberty County

· From 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. through May 12, there will be nightly ramp closures with detours at I-95 exits 76 and 67 to replace existing concrete on ramps.

For more information about travel conditions on Georgia’s interstates and state routes, call 511. More information is also available at www.511ga.org.