Senoia man gets life for PTC bank robbery

Tue, 09/15/2009 - 4:10pm
By: John Munford

A Senoia man has been convicted for the armed robbery of the United Community Bank off Wisdom Road in Peachtree City May 1

Calvin Obie Boynton, 45, of Senoia, was sentenced Tuesday to life plus 30 years in prison by Superior Court Judge Paschal A. English Jr.

During testimony Monday, bank manager Jennifer Winkles explained how she first reacted to the sight of the masked, armed man in her bank demanding money.

“I initially froze because I thought it was a joke,” Winkles said.

Boynton’s getaway car was followed from the scene by an alert good Samaritan, ultimately leading to the arrest of Boynton and the getaway driver.

Winkles testified that the gunman didn’t point the sawed-off shotgun at anyone, but he threatened to kill her if she did not put money in his bag. Winkles told the jury that she put about $7,000 in the bag before the gunman exited the bank.

The gunman wore a black ski mask so Winkles couldn’t identify him in court. Prosecutors established Boynton’s identity via the Samaritan who followed the getaway car and positively identified the car police stopped as the one which she had followed from the bank.

Police Lt. Mark Brown identified Boynton as the man pulled from the getaway car’s passenger seat. The car was driven by Scott Neal Boynton, 22, Calvin Boynton’s nephew, who has already entered a guilty plea relating to the case.

The citizen who followed the getaway car was home health nurse Octavia Hardnett. She testified Monday that she was about to pump gas at the Shell station next to the bank when the robbery occurred. Hardnett testified that she became suspicious when a red Kia Sophia pulled into the bank area as if it was about to go through the drive-thru area the wrong way.

Instead of pumping gas, Hardnett kept her car running and watched the scenario unfold.

“He ran in the bank really quickly,” Hardnett said of the vehicle’s passenger. In less than three minutes the passenger, dressed in a camouflage jacket, exited the bank cradling a black bag and carrying a gun.

“That’s when I said, ‘He done robbed the bank,’” Hardnett said.

As the getaway car left the scene, Hardnett began to follow them from a distance, calling 911 to direct police to the suspects’ location. The car exited the bank on Wisdom Road and went briefly into the Wisdom Woods Apartments where she lost sight of them until the car emerged about three minutes later.

Defense attorney Kim Cornwell quizzed Hardnett about her testimony that she saw the gunman’s face as he exited the bank. Cornwell pointed out that Hardnett had not mentioned that detail in her written statement to police.

Hardnett agreed she had not put it in her statement, but she insisted that when the getaway car left Wisdom Woods it had the same driver and passenger as when it went in. Hardnett also said she saw the driver’s face as the car exited the apartments.

Hardnett, who had watched the apartment exit from the Peachtree City Elementary School parking lot, followed the getaway car from the apartments onto Riley Parkway, Flat Creek Trail and then west on Ga. Highway 54, keeping 911 operators notified of the getaway car’s location.

The getaway car was stopped by police at the bridge on Ga. Highway 54 West.

Brown identified Calvin Boynton as the man who was in the passenger seat of the getaway car when the Boyntons were arrested.

Underneath that seat was about $7,000 in cash in a black trash bag, a sawed-off shotgun and a camouflage jacket, Brown said.

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Submitted by pattert2 on Wed, 09/16/2009 - 3:30pm.

Bonkers is right.
WHAT is the matter with you??? AND just WHY do YOU want to see a picture of the woman?? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?????

Submitted by Roadrunner on Tue, 09/15/2009 - 9:35pm.

We have you to thank for getting these people off the streets before they hurt someone. So few people today are 1) Observant enough to notice this situation as soon as you did and 2) Care enough to do what you did to see the crimials were apprehended. You have my vote for "Fayetteville Citizen of the YEAR"!! If we don't have such an award perhaps it's time we did..

Submitted by smile on Tue, 09/15/2009 - 9:50pm.

Yes, I would love to see her get recognition for this.

I would also like to request that this newspaper do a story on her and publish a picture with it.

Submitted by Bonkers on Wed, 09/16/2009 - 6:07am.

Are you out of your mind?

Ever hear of snitching retaliation?

NUK_1's picture
Submitted by NUK_1 on Wed, 09/16/2009 - 6:24am.

Fortunately, a lot of citizens are not cowards and this lady is also obviously not one either. She's most likely proud of getting involved in being instrumental in getting one more scummy bad guy off the streets, not quivering in her closet now in terror for "snitching."

So, unlike you Bonkers who sits around doing nothing but griping all day long, she got involved. Why don't you take your meds, get some semblance of A LIFE, and let the community of involved people decide about further recognition for this woman. We'll let you know what we decide so you can criticize it over and over.


Submitted by Bonkers on Wed, 09/16/2009 - 9:10am.

I didn't say the lady wasn't involved in citizen protection. She obviously did that. Even I am not so dumb (as you indicate) to not know that.

Like in the old west, if you shoot a fast-draw, and then let the newspapers print it everywhere, and let the socially impaired locals yack it up with a party (for them), then Johnny Ringo will see it and make a decision!

There absolutely was no criticism of the lady by me and you know it!!!!
You got caught doing the wrong thing and like Red-Nek, Riverdale trailer scum, try to smooth it over with a slightly disoriented blurb!

I call em like I see em.

Reward this lady in secret. Don't even let her know who YOU are.
I did.
Others who want to do the same thing as she did will do it without so much hoopla if they think it will be kept secret.

Submitted by smile on Tue, 09/15/2009 - 8:29pm.

Thank you Octavia Hardnett. Good work!

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