Mom, son charged in slaying of former Fayette woman in Georgia
The family of a former Fayette County woman who was brutally bludgeoned in her home in Georgia last week is still reeling over news that the victim's next-door neighbor and teenage son are accused in the killing.
The family of Laverne Katherine Sanner Parsons, 41, of Columbia County will gather at the Stephen R. Haky Funeral Home in Uniontown today to mourn Parsons, who grew up in the Dunbar and Hopwood areas. She later moved to Georgia with her husband and high school sweetheart, David R. Parsons, formerly of Hopwood.
Parsons' neighbor, Rebecca Sears, 41, and her 19-year-old son, Christopher Sean Bowers, both of 227 Hot Springs Drive, Grovetown, are being held without bond in the Columbia County Jail near Augusta in connection with the claw hammer and baseball bat attack, according to sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris.
Parsons was discovered by a construction worker. She died the next day of blunt-force trauma to the head at Medical College of Georgia Hospital in Augusta, Morris said.
Sears and the victim both had worked at the Healing Hands Physical Therapy, according to authorities.
Sears is accused of concocting bizarre ruses to cover up the crime. Police said she staged a burglary at her own home around 9 a.m. March 25, about the same time that Parsons' body was discovered. The following day, she told police in neighboring Richmond County that she had been shot in the leg outside her workplace by an unknown man who demanded money.
Both Sears and Bowers are charged with murder and murder conspiracy.
"I really can't get into any more details or give you a motive now because it's still under investigation. Mrs. Sears and Mr. Bowers were taken into custody late Friday and arraigned (Monday) morning," Morris said.
Parsons, known as Kay, was a 1987 graduate of Laurel Highlands High School. News of her death stunned her close-knit family, who still live in the Fayette area, including sisters Olive Bigley, Elma Pavelek and Mary Jeffers, and brothers Kenneth Sanner, Charles Sanner and Arthur Sanner Jr.
"Kay was just a wonderful, wonderful person. This is just so painful for all of us right now," said Bigley of Dunbar.
"She and her husband, Dave, who recently retired from the Army, really lived for their son, Derek, 12. I can tell you those three did everything together," she said. "Derek is their pride and joy."
Bigley recalled her family vacationing with the Parsons last May in Panama City, Fla.
"Oh, was (Kay) ever an adventurer. We were on jet skis and a boat came by and really stirred up the water, and she said, 'I can handle this because I'm used to riding motorcycles with Dave and Derek,'" Bigley said.
In the end, the waves frightened Parsons, who laughed and said maybe she "bit off more than she could chew."
"Oh, we laughed about that. And could she hit a softball far, too," Bigley said. "She really loved going to all of Derek's baseball games, and he was in three or four different leagues. She had a great sense of humor."
Parsons was a member of The Church of Christ.
Memorials may be made to the Parsons Memorial Fund, Wesley United Methodist at 825 N. Belair Road, Evans, Ga. 30809.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the chapel at the Haky funeral home, 603 N. Gallatin Ave. Interment will follow in Sylvan Heights Cemetery, Uniontown.
