BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — An East Tennessee man is facing a murder charge following the death of a Rockford woman in Georgia.
Robert Melvin Loge, 57, is facing felonies for murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony connected to the death of 41-year-old Jessica Lee Hilliard.
Loge is charged in Lowndes County, Georgia. However, it's not clear why the couple was in Valdosta.
Police said motel employees called them to an Econo Lodge on Sunday to report a dispute between a male and a female at the location. The caller told police the female had been injured, however the male had fled the scene.
When police got there they found Hilliard on a floor, unresponsive, bleeding from a gunshot wound to her head. Police tried to save her life and transported her to a Georgia hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Officers said they got a description of the male suspect, 57-year-old Robert Melvin Loge, and started to look for him. Loge was determined to be a separate Days Inn hotel in the area.
Loge was found hiding in a maintenance closet at the motel, police said.
“This was a tragic domestic violence incident, which should have never escalated to the point that this young woman lost her life," Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan said in a statement. "I am proud of the continuous work our officers and detectives along with other law enforcement in the area to find this offender and take him into custody without incident.”
Jail records show Loge is currently being housed in the Lowndes County Jail.
Anyone with information on the crime should call police.
WBIR has requested Loge's arrest record.