Arrest made in Powdersville BP robbery/murder

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Justin Jamal Warner
Justin Jamal Warner

Anderson County Sheriff’s investigators have tracked down the suspect responsible for the murder of Mradulaben Patel during the robbery of a BP Station in Powdersville recently.

Arrest warrants have been obtained for Jamal Warner, 25, of Atlanta. Warner is being charged with murder and the possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Warner was located and taken into custody for violation of probation by Georgia authorities. He is currently being held at the Clayton County Detention Center in Jonesboro, Georgia, and will be extradited back to Anderson County after the Georgia probation charges have been satisfied.

According to the Sheriff’s office, an anonymous tipster contacted Crime Stoppers on May 4 and provided investigators with the name of a possible suspect. Investigators used the information and evidence from the scene to positively identify Justin Jamal Warner, age 25 of Atlanta, as the perpetrator. With the assistance of Georgia authorities, Warner was located and taken into custody for a violation of probation.

Sheriff John Skipper gave credit to the media for their assistance in sharing the store’s surveillance video with the public. He stated that the video’s swift release allowed the tipster to quickly come forward and provide important information that led to the suspect’s identity.

He also thanked the Atlanta Police Department and the Probation and Parole Office of the Georgia Department of Corrections for their assistance in the case.

Sheriff Skipper said, “Our investigators worked hard to solve this case but our hearts go out to the Patel family for the loss they suffered in this senseless murder, as well as to the other victims in our county who have experienced this type of needless loss.”

Regarding Warner’s arrest the sheriff added, “If we have anything to do with it, he [Warner] will never see the light of day.”

Pravinchandra Patel, the owner of the BP Station and Mradulaben’s husband, attended the press conference. He was very gracious and thanked the Sheriff’s Office for their assistance and their quick resolution to the case.

Patel was working alone at the BP Station on Highway 153 near the I-85 interchange around 10:15pm on Thursday, April 30, when the suspect entered the store and purchased cigars before demanding money from the open register.

The suspect pointed a handgun and fired one round, causing Patel to drop to the floor, inadvertently closing the register as she fell. The would-be robber fled the scene without obtaining any money.

Patel died from her injuries the following Saturday.

The incident was captured on the store’s video which was subsequently provided to numerous media outlets in the hope that someone may have seen the suspect.