Deputies release sketch of suspect in RaceTrac clerk killing

OCONEE COUNTY, Ga. — The Oconee County sheriff’s office has released a sketch of the man they said killed a RaceTrac clerk.

Elijah Woods was shot and killed March 19 at the store on Hog Mountain Road. Police said a customer found him dead of gunshot wounds around 2 a.m.

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office initially released still photos of the masked shooter, dressed in all black and armed with a handgun.

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The sketch of the murder suspect was produced by the GBI’s forensic artist and was based solely on surveillance footage and still shots taken from the store surveillance.

Deputies emphasized that the drawing should “only be viewed as an approximation of the likeness of the suspect and not an exact picture of the suspect.”

Authorities said the shooter is still at large and considered armed and dangerous.

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Oconee County Sheriff James Hale said that because the suspect was completely covered up, it will be hard to identify who it is.

“The suspect, he was covered from head to toe,” Hale said. “It’s hard to tell race, its really hard to tell gender.”

“This is a tough day for us. We know Elijah and his family well, in a good way. We didn’t have to look up his father’s address because we already knew where he lives,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

A family friend said Wood and his twin sister would have turned 24 together later this month.

“He was a big family man and believed in family and always making special effort’s to be a part of the family,” his brother-in-law, James Lemmonds, wrote on a GoFundMe set up to help cover funeral expenses. “He loved his God and his country and was always willing to help anyone he felt was in need. He would go out of his way to check on you. He will be truly missed and always loved. This world has lost a treasure.”

Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to contact Investigator Eaton at zeaton@oconeesheriff.org or 706-769-3945.

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