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Murder bond hearing for 2 girls set for Aug. 12

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com

Holly Ann Harvey and Sandy Ketchum will be in court again tomorrow, this time as a judge determines whether they should be granted bond until they are tried on multiple counts of murder for the deaths of Carl and Sarah Collier, Harvey’s grandparents.

The two suspects are represented separately by local defense attorneys Judy Chidester and Lloyd Walker.

The hearing is set for 10 a.m. at the Fayette County Justice Center before Chief Superior Court Judge Paschal A. English.

Since they were arrested less than 24 hours after the killings, Harvey and Ketchum have been held in separate juvenile detention facilities. The Fayette County District Attorney’s office has announced they will be tried as adults.

Police said Carl and Sarah Collier were stabbed over 15 times each — with Sarah being stabbed “many more times” — at their home in the Newton Plantation subdivision off Ga. Highway 314 north near the Fayette-Clayton County line Aug. 2.

The likely motive for the killings was that Holly and Sandy, who were romantically involved, wanted to be “together forever,” said Lt. Col. Bruce Jordan of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.

Harvey convinced Ketchum to take part in the killings, Jordan said. Since their arrest at Tybee Island, Sandy has cooperated with police while Holly has not.

Harvey, who was living with her grandparents while her mother serves a prison term on a drug offense, chased her grandfather up the stairs from her basement bedroom after he tried to get away, police said. Ketchum, who was hiding under Harvey’s bed, surprised the Colliers after they managed to pin Harvey to the top of the bed, causing Harvey to ask Ketchum for help, police said.

Chidester, who represents Holly Harvey, said last week that sheriff’s officials and prosecutors have agreed to meet with her about the case in the coming weeks. That, she said, was an indication of how strong they believe their case is against her client.