By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Walthour family seeks help, closure
ErnieWalthour
Ernie Walthour was found dead the morning of July 1, 2013, in the yard of a residence on Lewis Fraser Road near Midway.

The family of former basketball coach and youth mentor, Ernie Walthour is asking for help in solving the murder of their beloved family member and provide them some sense of closure.

It’s been almost six years since Walthour was found dead on the front lawn of a home off Lewis Fraser Drive July 1, 2013.

“It’s like it happened yesterday for me and I know it feels that way for my mom, sisters and brothers,” Theresa Lingard, Walthour’s sister said during an interview with the Courier. “I have to drive by that house every day and it’s hard not to think about it. It’s heart breaking especially because of the person that he was. I mean he would have given you the shirt off his back.”

Walthour, was well known around Liberty County and beyond for his work with youth and athletics. He founded the Coastal Crews Rebels basketball program in 1993 teaching kids the basics and skills of the game, as well as the importance of education to lead successful lives. He was also involved with the basketball program for the Fort Stewart Youth ChalleNGe Academy. In 1996 he was named the Sports Director of the St. James Sports Center. With St. James serving as home base for the Rebels, Walthour helped nearly 42 basketball players achieve scholarships to Division I, II, and III colleges and Universities. He also served as the head coach for the boys’ basketball program at First Presbyterian Christian Academy, had his own bonding company and organized an annual event, the Summer Slam, to benefit the Rebels’ so they could travel to national tournaments. Every Christmas he organized an event at the St. James Center where the children from the Holmestown community were treated to gifts and the families treated to a Christmas dinner. In 2010 Walthour was inducted into the Liberty County Sports Hall of Fame for his work with the youth in his community.

Johnnie Mae Walthour sat next to her daughter shaking her head from side to side, the pain of the loss of her son still visible after all these years.

Lingard said Walthour’s did like to play cards. According to preliminary police reports Walthour was leaving a poker game the night he was shot. He reportedly had currency when he left the game but was found with no currency in his possession.

“He like to play cards, that is what he liked to do but should he have been killed for that…no,” Lingard said.

Liberty County Sheriff Steve Sikes said there is not a day that goes by that he doesn’t think about his longtime friend.

“He was a personal friend of mine, I’ve known most of my life,” Sikes said. The Sheriff met with the Courier at the home where he found his friend murdered. He said he has a photo of Walthour on his desk as a daily reminder to stay on the case. Sikes added he is determined to find out who committed the crime no matter how long it takes.

“It is going to stay open forever,” he said of the case, “Sooner or later somebody is going to tell us something.”

The Sheriff said they interviewed hundreds of people when the case first opened. He formed a joint task force with the City of Hinesville Police so they could cross reference potential clues, witnesses and possible persons of interest.

But the case hit a dead end.

In March 2017 Michael Albritton joined the detective unit of the LCSO and Sikes said the first thing he did was place the case in the hands of an experienced investigator with a fresh set of eyes.

Albritton said he took the case in July of 2017 and with the assistance of Chris Reed they’ve sought out the help of a professional profiler, interviewed old and new witnesses, used new investigative techniques and have found potential new leads.

“We never close murder cases and we’ve been actively pursuing this case,” he said. “Somebody out there knows what happened and we are appealing to the community for somebody to come forward with some information. Someone needs to held accountable for what they’ve done.”

“He has grandkids he never met,” Lingard said. “And he has kids that needed their father and it was hard….It’s been tough. Right now we have no closure. We don’t know if this person lives next door or down the street. We need someone to come forward, no matter how small the detail…but we need closure.”

Anyone with information on the murder of Ernie Walthour is encouraged to call (912) 391-1500.

Note: This is the first report on the ongoing investigation of Walthour’s death. Watch for a second story focusing on the case to follow soon. 

 

Walthour family seeks help, closure

The family of former basketball coach and youth mentor, Ernie Walthour is asking for help in solving the murder of their beloved family member and provide them some sense of closure.
By: Lewis Levine

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Sign up for our e-newsletters
3rd ID, Army, allies mourn four soldiers lost in accident
Farewell ceremony set for Thursday morning in Lithuanian capital
four soldiers

The four U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry found deceased near Pabradė, Lithuania have been identified.  

The Army has confirmed the four soldiers who died when their vehicle sank into a bog as Staff Sgt. Edvin Franco, 25, Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez, 25, PFC Dante Taitano, 21, and Staff Sgt. Troy Knutson-Collins, 28.

"First and foremost, we offer condolences to the loved ones of our soldiers,” said Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. “I can't say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us. We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies - and our own sailors, airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers - have enabled us to find and bring home our soldiers. This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends.” 

The four soldiers, who were the crew of a M88A2 armored recovery vehicle, went missing in the early morning hours of March 25. Their vehicle eventually was found March 26 but it was beneath approximately 14 feet of water and sunk into more than six feet of mud.

Crews worked to drain the area around the vehicle to make it stable for heavy equipment needed to pull out the M88. U.S. Navy divers were flown in and attached cables to hoist points so the submerged vehicle could be lifted out of the bog.

"This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd ID commanding general. “Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.” 

Knutson-Collins, Duenez Jr., and Franco were all posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant.

Knutson-Collins was an artillery mechanic with over seven years in the Army. He arrived at Fort Stewart in February 2018 and was assigned to 1/41 Field Artillery Battalion.

Knutson-Collins graduated from the Army Basic Leader Course, the Advanced Leaders Course, the Tracked Vehicle Recovery Operations course, and the Combat Lifesaver course. He deployed to Korea in 2020.

His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Master Technician Badge.

“Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit,” said Capt. Jackson Patillo, commander, Foxtrot Company, 1/41 Field Artillery Battalion. “Staff Sgt. Troy Collins was an exceptional friend to all of us and an irreplaceable member to our entire Fox family that we will truly miss.”

“The pain we feel from this loss is insurmountable,” said Lt. Col. Erick Buckner, 1/41 Field Artillery Battalion commander. “Staff Sgt. Knutson-Collins was well loved throughout our unit and a brother to all. He was an expert, an incredibly talented mechanic and a warrior. We will never forget his dedication to his unit, his family and his country.”

“We are incredibly relieved that we were able to bring this recovery to an end and bring closure to all the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commanding general of the 1st Armored Division, who also grew up on Fort Stewart. “We cannot thank our Allies and fellow service members enough, especially the Lithuanians, who spared no resource in support of this mission. Together, we delivered on our promise to never leave a fallen comrade.” 

Throughout the seven-day recovery effort, the combined and joint team worked day and night to find the soldiers. 

“As the fourth and final soldier has been recovered from this tragic accident, we will continue to mourn their loss as we work to quickly return our Dog Face Soldiers home to their families,” said Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps and former Fort Stewart and 3rd ID commanding general. “It has been truly amazing and very humbling to watch the incredible recovery team from different commands, countries and continents come together and give everything to recover our Soldiers. Thank you, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, the U.S. Navy and the Army Corps of Engineers. We are forever grateful.” 

All four soldiers were deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to provide credible ground deterrence alongside Allies and partners, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart. 

“I'm immensely proud of our entire team. They have been relentless in their efforts to search and recover our soldiers and get every capability and asset necessary to enable this effort,” Gen. Donahue said. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also posted on X his sorrow at the loss of the four soldiers.

“I want to personally extend my deepest condolences to the families of all four fallen soldiers,” he wrote. “Our hearts are heavy across the Department of Defense. We are deeply grateful to our brave servicemembers who enabled this difficult recovery and to our Lithuanian hosts who labored alongside them. The recovery was conducted with urgency, resolve and deep respect for the fallen. We will never forget these soldiers — and our prayers are with their families.”

A farewell ceremony for the soldiers will be held Thursday morning in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.

“Every soldier is also a Lithuanian soldier, and their families’ pain is our pain,” said a statement from the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense.

The U.S. Army is investigating the cause of the accident. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available. 

"We continue to stand by the families and loved ones through this incredibly difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. Norrie. “Now, it’s time to bring them home.” 

 

Latest Obituaries