Breaking: Police Make Arrest in Homicide of Elderly Dacula Woman

Updated, 10:15 p.m. Friday

Gwinnett Police have arrested a teenager and charged him with murder in the death of a Dacula-area woman, whose blood-covered body was found by a relative Friday morning.

In a Friday night news update, police said James Watkins, 16, is accused of killing Margaret Sheffield, 77, at her residence on Track Way near Dacula.

Gwinnett Police spokesman Cpl. Deon Washington said it appears Watkins stabbed Sheffield.

“At this point, it appears that the motive for the murder was theft,” Washington said. “Watkins lived in the neighborhood where the homicide happened and knew the victim.”

Watkins has been charged with felony murder, aggravated assault and burglary. He is being held in the Gainesville youth detention center.

The official cause of death will be determined later after an autopsy by the Gwinnett Medical Examiner.

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Posted earlier

Gwinnett Police have identified the deceased woman as Margaret Sheffield, 77. Homicide detectives are investigating a person of interest in addition to other leads, police said in a email sent around 5:30 p.m. Friday.

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Posted earlier

Gwinnett Police are investigating the apparent homicide of an elderly woman who was found covered in blood Friday morning in her Dacula-area home.

Police were dispatched to 2680 Track Way around 10:45 a.m. Friday on a call about an unknown medical incident. The woman’s body was discovered by a family member, Gwinnett Police Public Information Officer Cpl. Michele Pihera said in an updated news release Friday afternoon.

“When the officers arrived, they went inside the residence. The officers immediately noticed an elderly white female in her mid-70s who appeared deceased,” Pihera said. “The officers exited the home and contacted members of the Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit.”

Detectives were not immediately clear about the cause of death, but were able to determine family members had not had contact with the woman for about 24 hours before her body was found. Pihera said the woman lived alone at the home.

The woman’s identity has not been released, pending notification of her immediate family members.

The cause of death is expected to be determined at a later time after the body is submitted to the Gwinnett Medical Examiner for an autopsy.

If you have any information to share about this case, contact the Gwinnett Polce Homicide Unit at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters can contact Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta at 404 577-TIPS (8477). Tipsters can be eligible for up to a $2,000 reward. Case Number: 15-082090

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Earlier post

Gwinnett County Police are investigating a “suspicious death” reported Friday morning in the Dacula area.

Police are currently on the scene at 2680 Track Way in Dacula, where a woman in her mid-70s was found deceased, GCPD Cpl. Michele Pihera said in a news alert.

Members of the Criminal Investigations Division and the Crime Scene Unit are on their way to the scene.

Return for updates.