Georgia duo, ages 19 and 15, charged with murder following teenager’s death

The Bartow County Sheriff’s Office announced last week that two teenagers from Cobb County, Dayton Bryan Owen and Drysten Owen have been charged with the beating death of Caleb Demond Thomas. 

Thomas, 19, was killed after the two allegedly jumped him on May 16 near Parkway Station Drive SE and Grand Central Way in Cartersville.

Both Owens was taken into custody, without incident, on May 22 in the area of their Belmont Avenue home in Smyrna. Drysten Owen, age 15, was charged as an adult but is being held in a youth detention center due to his age. Owens, 19, was being held Tuesday at the Bartow County jail. The relationship between the two has not been released. Both are charged with murder per their arrest warrants.

Deputies were called to the area on May 16 at around 7:45 p.m. after receiving reports of an assault in progress. Thomasa was treated at the scene and then taken to Piedmont Cartersville Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Witnesses told police they saw a four-door Toyota Tacoma that was silver in color parked in the cul-de-sac of Parkway Station Drive. They told police that they saw Thomas running from the vehicle and saw two unknown men chase after and assault him. The witnesses said the two men took off in the Toyota after the assault. 

Both are being held without bond and will be tried as adults. The Bartow County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the GBI, the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, and the Smyrna Police Department with the arrests.