This week, a grand jury brought an indictment against a 24-year-old man from Georgia, charging him with several offenses in connection to the death of a 66-year-old retired firefighter, which took place at a Wilmington Island restaurant in 2019.

The individual in question, Charles Alexander Jacobson Teeple IV, faced charges including two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, and the exploitation and intimidation of an elder, as reported by WJCL. At the time of the incident, Teeple was 19 years old.

Authorities responded to a call at Basil’s Pizza and Deli on December 31, 2019, regarding an assault at the venue. Upon arrival, Bruce Helmly, a former firefighter from Savannah, informed them that he had been struck in the head by Teeple. Witnesses described the assault as both sudden and unprovoked, as noted by WTOC.

Initially, Helmly declined medical assistance on the night of the incident but was subsequently hospitalized after losing consciousness a few hours later. Tragically, he passed away a week following the attack.

Teeple was initially apprehended on January 2, 2019, and faced charges of battery. However, the charges were elevated to murder after Helmly’s death, following an in-depth investigation in April, as reported by WJCL.

In 2023, Teeple’s attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and requested a jury trial, WSAV reported. It’s not clear why that plea came four years after Helmly’s death, nor why a grand jury only heard the case this year.