A man later determined to be an illegal alien from Mexico received a life sentence without the possibility of parole in Greene County Superior Court on Nov. 17 for the murder of a co-worker, according to the Ocmulgee District Attorney’s Office.
Dimas Sanchez Ruiz, 41, pleaded guilty to the killing of Rod-Riez Dameyian Tripp, 30, of Union Point.
According to the reports, Ruiz shot Tripp twice in the chest with a 9mm pistol while the two were working at Plantation Quail on Hwy 15 between Greensboro and Siloam on April 4.
After the murder, law enforcement found Ruiz smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer in the parking lot as if he were waiting for their arrival. Ruiz later confessed to the murder, claiming that he shot Tripp because Tripp was picking on him, according to the DA’s office.
“In closing, our hearts go out to the family of Rod-driez Tripp,” the DA’s office said in a statement released on social media. “We would also like to express our gratitude to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI, and other law enforcement members who worked to bring justice to the victim’s family and community.”
According to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and officers with the Greensboro Police Department responded to 1940 Highway 15 South after the shooting was reported by another employee at the lower processing warehouse.
Upon arrival, law enforcement officers took 40-year-old Ruiz into custody without incident, located the victim, and began to render aid and life-saving measures.
The scene was secured, and Greene County EMS transported Tripp to Piedmont Hospital in Athens, where he was later pronounced deceased as a result of gunshot wounds.
The GBI Region Six Office in Milledgeville was called in to assist in the investigation.
Other agencies, including the Georgia State Patrol and Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, also responded due to the initial 911 call of multiple shots being fired.