Brother Indicted On Murder Charges in Sister's Death

WOODSTOCK, GA -- The brother of a Woodstock woman found dead outside her home late last year has been indicted on charges connected to her death.

A Cherokee County grand jury this week indicted Joseph Felton Twilley on one count each of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and theft by taking of a motor vehicle, court records show.

The man's sister, 58-year-old Karen Twilley of Woodstock, was found dead during the early morning hours of Nov. 16, 2016, outside the home she shared with her mother on Pine Circle near Allatoona Lake.

Detectives with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office classified the death as a homicide and identified Twilley's brother as the suspect.

According to the indictment, Karen Twilley was struck repeatedly "on or about the head with a hard object or or hard objects," which have been unidentified at this time.

Following the incident, the Cherokee Sheriff's Office said Twilley allegedly stole his mother's 2001 Ford Focus from the scene of the crime.

Two days later, Woodstock police conducted a traffic stop and took Twilley into custody.

Image via Cherokee Sheriff's Office