News 12 First at Five, November 20, 2007

AUGUSTA, Ga. - It doesn't feel like holiday time for the family of Jimmy Quarles because their family has been torn apart by violence.

"He was just a young man," says Quarles' aunt, Marie Alexander,"He was in the prime of life...out there trying to do the right thing."

Quarles' body was found in the backyard of an abandoned house on 1st Street Monday afternoon. Richmond County Deputy Coroner, Mark Bowen, says he died of a single gunshot wound to the head.

Investigators say there are no suspects at this time.

"We're gonna have to go back out to the scene and go back out to the neighborhood and see what we can find out from people in the neighborhood," said Investigator Tom Johnson.

People who live in the 1st Street neighborhood say they don't know much and they're still in shock.

"I don't know anything except somebody has been shot and killed," said Geraldine, who lives near the house where the body was found," It looked like a young person. It's a shame."

Quarles was the eldest of two sons. He graduated from Glenn Hills High School in 2003 and was attending Augusta Technical College with hopes of becoming a barber.

"He was dedicated to family and a church member," says Alexander.

Quarles' family say they don't know why their loved one was on 1st Street. They think he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is their plea,

"If anybody knows anything concerning this, please come forth and let us know something because if anybody had a child out here and I saw something... I would tell...I'd let somebody know something," said Alexander.

Investigators say they have some leads, but no suspects.

"We've got some active leads that we're currently looking into also. So, it's basically just doing the interviews and doing some legwork," said Inv. Johnson.

Sergeant Richard Roundtree says, "It is a possibility that the murder may be drug-related."

This is the 24th murder in Richmond County this year.