Arrest In 1999 Death Of GA Mother Made In Fulton

ATLANTA, GA — A man has been arrested in connection with the death of his girlfriend nearly 27 years ago in the 250 block of Oakcliff Court Northwest, Atlanta Police said Monday.

Janarra Sherrer, 61, surrendered at the Fulton County Jail in connection with the July 31, 1999 death of 29-year-old girlfriend Bridgett Lockhart, police said. Lockhart's cause and manner of death were not revealed.

Sherrer faces charges of murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, police said.

Officers responded to Oakcliff around 3 a.m. after receiving a call about a person who was injured, police said.

The evening prior to her death, Lockhart attended a party at a bowling alley with her two children and other family members, APD Homicide Lt. Christapher Butler said at a June news conference.

She went home, and the next morning, Butler said police arrived to find Lockhart dead.

Police believed her death to be domestic-related, Butler said. Lockhart and Sherrer had been a couple for about six months at the time, he said.

Sherrer previously worked as a mechanic in the Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway-Bankhead area of Atlanta, Butler said.

Elandra Loyal, Lockhart's daughter, was 5-years-old when her mother died, she said at the news conference.

"At that age, you don't fully understand what has happened," Loyal, who ultimately became a police officer, said. "One night, she's there, smiling, laughing and being your mom; and, the next morning, she's gone. And as a child, I couldn't comprehend why she was gone or why our lives had to change forever."

A motive in the case has not been revealed.