Man accused of concealing Kennesaw dumpster death indicted

A Cobb County grand jury has indicted a McDonough resident on charges of conspiring to conceal the death of an Atlanta man. 

James Harold Creighton’s body was discovered in a decomposing state inside a dumpster located behind a Kennesaw office building. 

Derick Lamont Ragland, 48, is alleged to have been part of a conspiracy to hide Creighton’s deceased body, which was found at 195 Chastain Meadows Court on October 9, 2021. 

This marks the second arrest in connection with Creighton’s death. Shortly after the body’s discovery, Garfield Royes Norris, 54, and from Kennesaw, was arrested and charged with concealing a death. 

According to reports, Norris had wrapped Creighton’s body in multiple layers of plastic, tarps, cardboard, and ratchet straps before disposing of it in a dumpster. Subsequently, a Cobb County grand jury indicted Norris for murder in relation to Creighton’s death.

Ragland now faces charges of collaborating with Norris to conceal the body. An arrest warrant issued last month indicates that Ragland was connected to multiple locations containing materials similar to those used to wrap Creighton’s body. 

In addition, Ragland allegedly made incriminating statements about the victim’s body never being found.

Jail records indicate that Ragland was being held at the Henry County Detention Center before being taken into custody by Cobb County Sheriff Deputies on August 12.

Ragland is currently being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond.

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