On March 19, 2023, after a seven-day trial, a Troup County jury found Joshua Wayne Nutt, aka: Joshua Wayne Bradley, guilty of a heinous crime. Nutt, now 41, of LaGrange, was convicted of two counts of Malice Murder, six counts of Felony Murder, two counts of Armed Robbery, two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and more. The verdict was followed by a sentencing that will see Nutt serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The evidence presented during the trial painted a grim picture of the events that unfolded in August 2021. The victims, Marcus Lee Caswell, Jr., 46, and Travis Michael Lodato, 31, were lured to Nutt's residence under false pretenses. Tragically, Nutt took their lives in a brutal manner, robbing them of their possessions and callously disposing of their bodies in West Point Lake.
During the sentencing, Chief Assistant District Attorney Jack Winne emphasized the severity of Nutt's crimes, stating, "This defendant is a cold-blooded murderer who deserves to die in prison." Winne highlighted Nutt's extensive criminal history and his affiliation with the violent Ghostface Gangsters, underscoring the danger he posed to society.
"He chose to live a life of crime, marked by multiple felony convictions in multiple Georgia counties and by his association with the violent criminal street gang known as the Ghostface Gangsters," Winne added. "I am thankful that justice was done for these victims and their families."
The case was prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney Jack Winne, with the investigation led by Troup County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) Captain Kelli Ellington and Lieutenant Jeff Adams. The successful conviction and sentencing of Joshua Wayne Nutt bring a semblance of closure to the families of Marcus Lee Caswell, Jr., and Travis Michael Lodato, who were senselessly taken away in a tragic act of violence.