LaGrange man pleads guilty to 2023 Sunny Point Park murder, sentencing set for May
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- Newly discovered firearm and ballistics testing led suspect Billy Joe Tyler III to plead guilty to 2023 murder.
- Kenneth Stanley Dial was shot during robbery attempt at Sunny Point Park; sentencing scheduled for May 11.
A major development has been announced in a 2023 homicide case after the suspect entered a guilty plea following new evidence uncovered by investigators.
According to the LaGrange Police Department, officers initially responded around 8:00 a.m. on August 28, 2023, to Sunny Point Access at 2786 Mooty Bridge Road in reference to a person shot. Upon arrival, officers located Kenneth Stanley Dial suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Investigators determined Dial had arrived at the park earlier that morning for his routine walk. An acquaintance later discovered him and called 911. Witnesses in the area reported hearing gunshots around 7:30 a.m.
Later that evening, at approximately 9:00 p.m., police arrested Billy Joe Tyler III on Park Avenue, charging him with Dial’s murder. Authorities say the investigation revealed Tyler attempted to rob Dial before shooting him and fleeing the scene.
New Evidence Leads to Guilty Plea
In a significant update released April 28, 2026, detectives confirmed that newly discovered evidence led to a breakthrough in the case. After executing multiple search warrants across several locations, investigators recovered a firearm believed to have been used in the killing.
The weapon was submitted to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab, where ballistics testing confirmed it as the murder weapon.
When confronted with this evidence, Tyler chose to plead guilty to the charge of murder. He is expected to receive a life sentence.
Formal sentencing is scheduled for May 11.
This case marks a resolution for investigators nearly three years after the fatal shooting at Sunny Point Park.
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