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Granddaughter hides emotion; girlfriend in tears during court hearing

Both accused of murdering grandparents in north Fayette home

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com
and JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

The difference between accused murderers Holly Ann Harvey and Sandra Ketchum might have been revealed when they left a packed courtroom separately Thursday afternoon.

Ketchum’s face was red from sobbing as she glanced into the crowd, perhaps looking for a familiar face. Harvey, however, turned around for a quick peek at Ketchum with nothing but a cold stare on her face.

Harvey’s facial expression when she entered the courtroom was partially hidden by a large amount of her dark brown hair that fell in front of her face. Both girls were slight in stature, probably no more than 5 feet tall, and there was a noticeable buzz in the courtroom when they were led to the defense table wearing Kevlar bullet-proof jackets.

On the state side of the courtroom, Lt. Colonel Bruce Jordan, who has spent the better part of three days with little sleep, surveyed the suspects as they walked into the courtroom. Jordan said when the suspects were arrested at Tybee island that Harvey merely laughed and appeared pleased that so many police were looking for her.

Family members struggled to control their emotions during the hearing as Fayette Chief Magistrate Charles R. Floyd read aloud the charges of malice murder and felony murder that have been filed against the teenagers, who have attended Fayette schools in the past.

Harvey and Ketchum are being tried as adults and could face a maximum of life in prison. However, the death penalty cannot be sought because of the girls’ ages.

Floyd advised Harvey and Ketchum of their rights to remain silent and their rights to be represented by an attorney.

The magistrate also told them if they could not afford an attorney they could apply to have an indigent defense attorney appointed to represent them at all phases of the criminal process.

By law, Floyd could not consider setting a bond amount for either suspect because they are charged with murder. That decision will be up to a superior court judge at a later date. The duo’s next court appearance is Aug. 31 at 9 a.m. for a preliminary hearing.

Several family members of the suspects left the court in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Some were unable to see because of the tears as they fled the courthouse interior, followed by TV news cameras in hot pursuit.

Members of the Ketchum family fled outside to the hot Georgia pavement and refused to speak to the news media. One member of the family put her hand in front of a television camera.

The case has already received a tremendous amount of attention in the national news media and local attorney Lloyd Walker argued that TV and still cameras should have been kept out of the courtroom.

Walker said the case has already drawn a “media circus” and that his client, Sandy Ketchum, had the right to prevent further pre-trial publicity. Walker said reporters should be allowed to observe the proceedings but the cameras should be banned from the courtroom.

After a legal protest from several media attorneys and a representative of The Fayette Citizen, Floyd denied Walker’s motion, which was also joined by Holly Harvey’s attorney, Judy Chidester.

The cameras rolled, and the nation got their first view of what many are calling a modern-day “Thelma and Louise” since they were captured.