Grantham Pleads Guilty to Webb Murder
A Hartwell man, charged in the 2000 murder of a Elberton man, will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Dana Martin Grantham, 59, pled guilty Monday in Elbert County Superior Court to the murder of Jimmy Webb, 67 of Elberton.
The Webb murder case went unsolved for 13 years, but was re-opened in January by the Elbert County Sheriff’s office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s office.
“They had formed a suspect sometime ago, but were not able to seek warrants,” White said. “After a review of the case with them, we believed there was enough evidence to move forward.”
Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Parks White said late Monday, Grantham admitted to the murder last month.
“He was at first interviewed by the GBI, but never said anything exculpatory,” White said. “But then he asked for a meeting with my office. I went last month with the GBI to interview Mr. Grantham and he confessed to the murder of Jimmy Webb.”
Grantham was then indicted on June 28th by an Elbert County Grand Jury on two counts of Felony Murder and one count of Malice Murder.
White said on October 6th 2000, Grantham went to Webb’s home on Comer Road in Elberton to rob him of his coin collection.
“Grantham was aware that Mr. Webb collected gold and silver coins,” White said. “On October 6th 2000, he saw that Mr. Webb was not at home. So, he parked his work truck in Mr. Webb’s carport and went inside to rob him of his coin collection.’
However, White said Webb came home and caught Grantham robbing him.
“He (Grantham) knew that with his criminal history, what the consequences would be for robbing Webb,” White said. “So he told Mr. Webb to go into his bedroom and that he was going to tie Mr. Webb up. But instead he had Mr. Webb lay face down on the bed and he (Grantham) shot him with his Colt 38.”
Grantham pleaded guilty to all three murder counts Monday morning. White said Grantham expressed remorse for the crime at his sentencing Monday.
With the plea, Superior Court Judge John Bailey sentenced Grantham to life in prison, which will run concurrent with any time remaining on previous sentences. Grantham is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for the murder of a Hartwell man, James Flanagan, in October 2001.