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The man charged in the July murder of 22-year-old Dolan Ryan Blanachard appeared before a Bulloch County Superior Court judge for the first time on Friday.
19-year-old John Warnell Morris was in the courtroom at the Bulloch County Jail before Judge John Turner in a jumpsuit and shackles alongside his attorney, public defender Stuary Patray.
Investigators with the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office arrested Morris several days after the victim, Ryan Dolan Blanchard, was found lying in the roadway on Maria Sorrell Road on July 17, 2022. Blanchard was suffering from apparent gunshot wounds and succumbed to his injuries before being transported to a hospital.
Following an investigation, Morris was arrested and charged with Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery, Arson (2nd degree), and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.
After he was arrested, Morris’ attorney requested a bond hearing as well as a preliminary hearing on the case. A preliminary hearing is a proceeding in which a superior court judge evaluates evidence presented and determines whether or not probable cause exists to bind the case over to Superior Court for grand jury proceedings.
Assistant District Attorney Casey Blount called lead BCSO Investigator Reid Odom to testify before Judge Turner.
Odum told the Court that a call came into the 911 center at 1:39 a.m. on July 17 for a report of an individual laying in the roadway with gunshot wounds. As Odom arrived on scene a short time later, 911 received a call about a vehicle fire approximately one mile away. Both scenes were processed well into the morning.
Odom said he was interviewing family in Screven County when he received a call about Morris and his father arriving at the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office to speak with investigators about the incident. Investigators knew Morris and Blanchard had had contact on the night of the shooting, via a phone call, but little else was known at the time.
Captain Todd Hutchens met with Morris and his father, at which time Morris said he spoke with Blanchard that night about Blanchard borrowing a shotgun to go hunting. He said the two met up and Dolan Blanchard’s brother, Marcus, was in the vehicle. He said he passed off the shotgun and he later received a text from Marcus indicating that his brother had been shot and killed and the vehicle was set on fire.
According to investigators, Morris was asked to return to the Sheriff’s Office on July 21 for additional questioning. He did so, offering the same details along with some new ones. Odom said BCSO was able to refute many of Morris’ claims while also solidifying Marcus Blanchard’s alibi.
On July 29, Odom and Hutchens transported Morris to the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office and he was read his Miranda rights. He was asked if he desired to continue speaking with investigators, to which he agreed. Odom testified Friday that it was at that time that Morris admitted to the murder of Blanchard. He also said Blanchard stated he convinced Dolan Blanchard to travel to Statesboro that evening. “It was pre-planned, they were going to go shoot stop signs.” Upon meeting up, Odom says Morris told Blanchard where to drive. They got out at the location of the crime, Morris fired a shot at a sign, and then turned around and shot Blanchard.
Odom testified that Blanchard was shot three times with a 12-gauge pump action shotgun – once in the forearm, once in the stomach, and once in the chest.
The vehicle that was burned was registered to Blanchard’s father, but Dolan was the primary driver. In it, investigators recovered remnants of a burned pump action shotgun, a steel ammo can, a gas can nozzle, and evidence of both diesel and gasoline used as an accelerant.
According to Odom, Morris was asked if he would take investigators to the scene on July 31, to which Morris once again agreed. He showed Hutchens and Odom where he shot the victim, among other things.
Investigators also obtained considerable video footage from homeowners and businesses in the community, which helped them verify and refute various testimonies over the course of the early investigation. In addition, the shotgun shells were recovered from the scene and all of interviews with Morris were audio and video recorded.
Morris’ attorney asked Odom what the nature of the relationship between the two was. “They were acquaintances, if not friends. But I’d definitely say acquaintances. They became friends through an online video game.”
Patray also asked whether or not Morris ‘gave a reason’ for the murder.
“He did,” Odom said. “It was related to an incident with a mutual female friend. An ex-girlfriend of Dolan Blanchard. This was a retaliatory plan for Morris.”
Following the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, ADA Casey Blount asked Turner to deny bond, citing the pre-planning, the retaliatory nature of the crime, how Morris lured the victim, and then attempted to steer investigators in the wrong direction. “He is an extreme risk to the community,” Blount stated.
Patray, on the other hand, argued that Morris was born and raised in Bulloch County, would reside with his parents if released, and posed no threat to flee the area if granted bond.
Judge Turner, however, denied the request for bond on the spot.
The case will be bound over to Superior Court and the next step is for the case to be presented to a grand jury. An exact timeline for that is not known at this time.
Jessica Szilagyi is Publisher of The Georgia Virtue. She focuses primarily on state and local politics as well as issues in law enforcement. She has a background in Political Science with a focus in local government and has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia. Jessica is a "Like It Or Not" contributor for Fox5 in Atlanta, a commentator on the 'Let Me Tell You Why You're Wrong Podcast,' and she has two blogs of her own: The Perspicacious Conservative and "Hair Blowers to Lawn Mowers." Sign up for her weekly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gzYAZT
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