Updated: Teen Charged in Alleged Sun Glo Car Wash Robbery, Killing

The Cartersville man, 17, turned himself in, accompanied by his father, to face charges including murder and armed robbery.

Updated 3 p.m. The second suspect charged with killing Cartersville resident and Canton native Randall "R.J." Statler during the commission of a robbery has no criminal history, CPD Capt. Mark Camp said. But Richard Clayton Flowers Jr., 17, of Cartersville, also has been charged in connection with an alleged purse snatching the day Statler was killed, which happened not far from the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive car wash. Camp said Flowers is accused of snatching a woman's purse as she shopped at the Dollar General in Market Square shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2012. Statler is believed to have been shot once in the head about 8 p.m., less than eight hours later. The woman, a 40-year-old Cartersville resident, said the purse snatcher…

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Updated: Police Charge Cartersville Man in Sun Glo Car Wash Killing

Cartersville police are continuing to investigate R.J. Statler's death and are seeking a second individual in connection with the alleged murder.

Updated Friday, 8 a.m. The second man suspected in R.J. Statler's killing, the apparent result of a botched robbery attempt, is a transient to the area, Cartersville police told The Daily Tribune News. “Well, we know for sure that their statements—the suspects’—that robbery was the key to that,” Officer David Bojczuk said. “During the day, there was motive [for the suspects] to rob someone and [Statler] was at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Updated 5 p.m. As police this afternoon announced an arrest in a homicide case Chief Tommy Culpepper called a “true whodunit,” they were seeking a second man suspected in the Dec. 16 killing of Cartersville resident R.J. Statler, 28, at Sun Glo Car Wash. Authorities last night arrested Brettney …

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C Morris

1:17 pm on Tuesday, May 14, 2013

That's the way it goes, Bill. We got some drama filled people in Cartersville that only want to gripe and belly-ache. Great job, CPD. Way to get the real killers off the streets.   more ›

Still No Suspects in Sun Glo Car Wash Killing

As Cartersville police continue to follow any leads and tips that come in, a mother in Ontario, Canada, urges the community to come forward with information to help 28-year-old R.J. Statler's family and friends, who are coping with unanswered questions.

On a warm, sunny day in Cartersville, a young woman washes her car as other patrons prepare to soap and vacuum their vehicles at Sun Glo Car Wash, where months earlier 28-year-old local resident R.J. Statler was shot once and killed. Despite a $3,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible, police have no suspects in the Dec. 16, late-night shooting and apparent robbery on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Statler was found after 11 p.m., lying in a car wash stall next to his pickup truck. He had been "mudding" with family earlier in the day. "The investigators are continuing to follow any leads and tips they receive," Cartersville Police Department spokesman Capt. Mark Camp said, declining to indicate if Statler…

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Car Wash Killing Victim's Mom: 'Still No Answers for Our Family'

In a post on Patch, homicide victim R.J. Statler's mother pleads with potential witnesses to come forward with information and has a message for those responsible: "You took our son; the pain will always be there."

Family, Friends Offer $3K Reward in Cartersville Car Wash Slaying

The family of R.J. Statler, 28, who was shot in the back of the head during an apparent robbery at Sun Glo Car Wash in Cartersville, is "just devastated."

Family and friends of R.J. Statler, the Cartersville man shot and killed Sunday night at Sun Glo Car Wash, are offering a collective $3,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible. Word of the reward, which began at $1,000, came as Statler's family and friends gathered to honor the Canton native and 2002 graduate of nearby Cherokee High. Statler's uncle, Rennie Statler, confirmed the reward had grown to $3,000 and said the family is "just devastated" when asked how they're coping with the loss. "There’s no real words to answer that. As we saw on the Patch, the vigil it showed, at least 150 people came out," he said. "This kid was cleaning his car and someone came up behind him and shot him in the back of the …

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Friends Hold Vigil for Car Wash Killing Victim

Canton native Randy "R.J." Statler, 28, was killed Sunday in an apparent robbery at Cartersville's Sun Glo Car Wash on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Friends of the man killed Sunday in an apparent robbery gathered last night in Canton's Boling Park for a candlelight vigil. Randal "R.J." Statler Jr., 28, of Cartersville, was found shot and deceased at Sun Glo Car Wash on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Cartersville police believe he was the victim of a robbery. "We are praying we find the person who killed him," said friend and classmate Casey Weaver. "He was kindhearted, would do anything for anyone, the sweetest guy with $1 million heart and an amazing smile." Statler lived in Cartersville, but grew up in nearby Canton and was a 2002 graduate of Cherokee High School, according to Weaver and other friends. He "worked hard for a living" in construction and leaves behind a dog, according …

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