Kenneth and Rhonda Lanier — Couple shot dead during home invasion

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Summary: Kenneth Craig Lanier, 68, and Rhonda Frost Lanier, 64, were fatally shot in their Pembroke, Georgia, home on March 8, 2026, after 55-year-old Anthony Andrea Forney stole a truck and hid it on their property. Forney then allegedly killed the couple, fled in their vehicle, and died from a self-inflicted gunshot following a police chase, reports say.

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PEMBROKE, Ga. — A routine act of roadside assistance escalated into a deadly sequence of events, leaving a married couple shot to death in their Bryan County home and a suspect deceased after a high-speed pursuit.

Authorities reported that the incident began around 4 p.m. on March 8 when a 55-year-old man, Anthony Andrea Forney of Bulloch County, ran out of fuel near Nevils. A passing motorist pulled over to offer help and left briefly to fetch a gas can from his nearby residence. According to investigators, Forney then climbed into the unoccupied pickup truck and drove off with it.

The truck owner promptly notified emergency services and used a built-in GPS system to monitor the vehicle's location. Law enforcement from Bulloch County, Bryan County, and the Georgia State Patrol coordinated efforts to locate the stolen truck. Initial sightings placed it near a restaurant on Highway 67 in Bulloch County, but the signal soon indicated it had crossed into Bryan County, stopping near Ash Branch Church Road.

As deputies and troopers converged on the area, they observed a man matching Forney's description accelerating out of a residential driveway in a gray Toyota Camry. Officers initiated a chase, during which the Camry's brake lights activated abruptly. The vehicle then veered off the road, flipped into a ditch, and came to a halt. Approaching the wreckage, authorities discovered Forney inside with a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Meanwhile, investigators examined the property from which the Camry had emerged. They located the stolen pickup concealed behind the house. Unable to reach the residents, deputies peered through windows and spotted two individuals lying motionless on the floor. Forcing entry, they confirmed the deaths of homeowners Kenneth Craig Lanier, 68, and Rhonda Frost Lanier, 64, both succumbing to gunshot injuries.

The motorist whose truck was taken recounted to police how he had intended to aid a stranded driver, only to return and find his vehicle gone. Deputies involved in the response described seeing the Camry exit the driveway at high speed, prompting the immediate pursuit. According to the Bryan County Sheriff's Office, evidence suggests Forney entered the Lanier residence after abandoning the stolen truck there, leading to the shootings before he fled in the couple's car.

Sheriff Mark D. Crowe stated that the case is being treated as a double homicide followed by suicide, with no additional suspects identified. No formal charges were filed due to Forney's death. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisted in processing the scenes, and autopsies were conducted to confirm causes of death.

The Laniers, longtime residents of Pembroke, were approaching their 50th wedding anniversary, authorities noted from family statements. Officials emphasized that the tragedy stemmed from an isolated encounter, with no prior connection apparent between Forney and the victims.

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