A Northeast Georgia man will spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering his ex-girlfriend. On Wednesday, Habersham County Superior Court Judge Russell Smith sentenced Jeramy Ray Chastain to life without the possibility of parole in the death of Alecia Stover.
Smith imposed the sentence after hearing evidence and arguments from prosecutors and the defense. Chastain was convicted on May 12 during a jury trial.
Jurors found the 32-year-old Chastain guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of aggravated battery.
History of violence
On March 7, 2020, firefighters discovered Stover’s body outside her burning log cabin at 691 Yonah Post Road in Alto. The state medical examiner’s office determined the 43-year-old died of blunt force trauma to her head.
During the investigation, Chastain was described as Stover’s on-again-off-again boyfriend. He had a history of violence and run-ins with the law and was released from prison just prior to her death. In October 2015, Chastain was arrested in Forsyth County and charged with battery and aggravated assault with intent to murder in an unrelated case.
Alecia Stover was a Habersham County native employed as an assistant manager at Walmart when she died.
Chastain’s murder trial was delayed several times due to the pandemic and his own lawyer’s medical leave.
The criminal investigation was conducted by the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and the Cleveland office of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Mountain Judicial Circuit assistant district attorneys Meredith Davis and Eddie Staples prosecuted the case.
