Steven Lewis Whittaker
Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson announced on Wednesday that Steven Lewis Whittaker, 58, of Rogers Road in Rossville, was arrested late Tuesday and charged with murder in the Friday night stabbing of his longtime friend Lebron (Buddy) Hankins, Jr.
Detectives believe a fight between the two men led to the stabbing. Evidence revealed that alcohol was a contributing factor in the death.
Detectives obtained the murder warrant for Whittaker after the preliminary autopsy report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed that Mr. Hankins received over fifty cuts to his head, neck and facial area. The autopsy also revealed that Mr. Hankins was strangled and sustained a broken neck.
Whittaker will remain in the Walker County Jail while waiting for a Superior Court hearing, according to Sheriff Wilson.