Teen charged with murder

Charles Oliver
The Dalton Daily Citizen Sun Oct 03, 2010, 12:49 AM EDT

DALTON — A 15-year-old boy from Dalton has been charged with the murder of his grandmother by the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Joshua Jaran Johnson, 4026 Mary Elizabeth Drive, was charged Friday with the crime.

Lt. Nancy Chadwick says the body of Lorraine Frazier was found in her Dalton home Wednesday and after an investigation Johnson was charged with the crime.

Whitfield County Coroner Bobbie Dixon said the cause of death was ligature strangulation.

Ligature refers to tying or binding something tightly.

Conasauga Circuit District Attorney Kermit McManus said Johnson has been charged as an adult in accordance with Georgia law, which gives jurisdiction of minors 13 and older charged with certain serious felonies to Superior Court, not juvenile court.

“He was arrested as a adult and processed in the adult booking process, but he is being housed in the (Regional Youth Detention Center),” off Underwood Road, McManus said.

McManus said he could not comment Saturday of the details of the case.

“That wouldn’t be proper. I can only say that he has been charged with murder, that the cause of death was strangulation, and that he will be in (Superior Court), I believe, on Tuesday,” McManus said.

From: http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x996176106/Teen-charged-with-murder