Police Chief: 'Team of Hard Chargers' Worked Relentlessly to Bring Murder Arrest

Update: Police said Wednesday afternoon that phone records led to the arrest of Odes Dupree, who made his first appearance in a Douglas County court. Read more in AJC’s report

===

Original post

Hours after announcing an arrest in the death of Florene Duke Tuesday evening, Douglasville Police Chief Chris Womack went to social media to share the news and express his pride in the efforts of local law enforcement.

In a post to the Douglasville PD Facebook page, Womack said a “team of hard chargers” from his department and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office led to the quick arrest of Odes Dupree, 53, of Douglasville, for the murder of the 75-year-old great-grandmother.

Duke was found gagged and tied up in her Selman Road apartment on Nov. 10. Police believe Dupree robbed the apartment and left Duke tied up, with her face covered, the AJC reported. An autopsy determined the cause of death as “ positional asphyxiation.”

Dupree, who police believe may have been in Duke’s apartment previously, also has been charged with robbery and burglary. He is in the Douglas County Jail without bond.

“I am so proud of the Major Case Unit. “MCU” is the combined team effort of the Douglas County Sheriffs Office and Douglasville Police Department,” Womack said in his Facebook post (see all of it below).”This team of hard chargers have been working relentlessly to put and bring to justice the person responsible for the death of Florene “Granny” Duke.”

(Photo: Odes Dupree. Douglas County Jail mug shot)

Read more on this story:

• Autopsy: Grandmother Found Bound and Gagged Died from Lack of Oxygen
• Police Continue Investigation Into Death of Douglasville Grandmother, 75
• Grandmother, 75, Found Dead in Douglasville Apartment
• Douglasville Police: Arrest Made in Death of Grandmother Found Bound, Gagged