J.T. Schroeder, an 18-year-old Georgia teenager, was stabbed to death on October 27 at a Walmart in Whitemarsh Island, allegedly by 48-year-old Delano Middleton over a shopping cart dispute; Middleton, a prior probationer for stabbing, faces murder charges without bond.
Authorities placed holds on Schroeder’s body by the Chatham County Coroner’s Office and Georgia Bureau of Investigation for autopsy as standard homicide procedure, but it was prematurely released to a funeral home, organs donated, and cremated before examination.
Chatham County DA Shalena Cook Jones condemned the “oversight, failure and professional negligence” as egregious, stating those responsible for releasing evidence in a criminal case could face felony charges; Memorial Health acknowledged processes were not followed and pledged reviews.
This blunder denies critical forensic evidence like wound details, potentially impacting Middleton’s trial, and highlights procedural lapses in handling homicide victims.
The case raises concerns about accountability in medical and funeral protocols for violent deaths.
