Suspect confesses to double murder in 2002 cold case involving vehicle fire on I-20

May 23, 2019
1 min read
Suspect confesses to double murder in 2002 cold case involving vehicle fire on I-20

PAULDING COUNTY — Law enforcement officials have arrested a man who confessed to a double murder in a cold case from 2002.

Police arrested 44 year-old Andrew John Shadrix in reference to a 2002 double murder that was later determined to have occurred in Paulding County.

On September 15, 2002 in the early morning hours, the Atlanta Fire Department and Police Department responded to a vehicle fire on I-20 which was just within the western city limits of Atlanta. Atlanta authorities quickly discovered that there was more to the vehicle fire than they expected.

Two bodies were located in the trunk of the badly burned vehicle and a subsequent autopsy revealed that the two men had been shot to death. The victims were later identified as 21-year-old Shad Andrew English and 19-year-old Dennis Jeffrey Jackson both of Paulding County. Atlanta homicide detectives were never able to generate any substantial leads and the case eventually went cold.

For years there was speculation that the murders occurred in Paulding County but no conclusive evidence ever brought the investigation officially to Paulding County. As a result of some investigative leads that were developed in other cases, Paulding Deputies assigned to the FBI Gang Task Force along with prosecutors from the Paulding Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office began working this case in early 2018.

According to the Sheriff’s department, deputies and prosecutors were able to secure a confession on May 22, 2019 from Shadrix. During the course of the investigation it was determined that the murders were drug related in nature.

As a result of the confession, it was determined the murders occurred at 170 Cohran Store Road in Douglasville, which is located in unincorporated Paulding County.

The residence is no longer intact and was destroyed many years ago by the property owner for unrelated reasons. Officials say Shadrix, who is currently incarcerated in the Georgia State Prison system on unrelated charges, was in the Paulding County Jail for court proceedings in Paulding County when he confessed to the 2002 double murder.

Sheriff Gary Gulledge stated, “This is a case where perseverance paid off and a guilty conscience got the best of the suspect. We are glad the Jackson and English families will now have closure knowing that their sons’ murderer is in custody.”

Shadrix is being housed in the Paulding County Jail without bond. He has been charged with two counts of Malice Murder thus far. As the investigation continues, more charges are likely in this case.

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