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Walton driver charged in fatal motorcycle crash in north Newton
police-blue-lights-WEB
Tom Spigolon
Updated: Dec 30, 2021, 5:32 PM
Published: Dec 30, 2021, 5:35 PM

COVINGTON, Ga. — The Newton County Sheriff's Office has charged a Monroe resident following an August wreck in which a motorcycle rider was killed in north Newton County.

Laura Wade Spencer, 43, was arrested Dec. 15 and charged with vehicular homicide and other crimes in connection with the Aug. 21 incident on Georgia Hwy. 81 at its intersection with Duncan Road in Oxford.

Michael Lamm, 32, of Lexington was killed and his wife, Kellie Lamm, 36, was injured in the crash after they were thrown from the Harley-Davidson FLHXS motorcycle they were riding.

An investigating deputy reported Spencer was driving in a 2016 Kia Sportage northbound on Georgia Hwy. 81 at Duncan Road at about 12:34 p.m. She told the deputy she "looked away for a split second” and looked up before seeing traffic was stopped.

Spencer then "swerved to her left across the double yellow line to avoid stopped traffic" and struck the motorcycle head-on while it was in the southbound lane, the report stated.

The motorcycle continued traveling, left the roadway and went 70 feet. Both driver and passenger were found thrown from the vehicle on the ground with serious injuries, it stated.

Michael Lamm was taken to Piedmont Newton Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Kelli Lamm was taken to Grady Hospital in Atlanta by Airlife 1 air ambulance.

Spencer was charged with Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree and Serious Injury by Vehicle, both felonies; and Homicide by Vehicle in the Second Degree, Driver to Use Care/Proper Use of Radio or Mobile Telephone, Improper Passing, Following Too Closely, and Reckless Driving, all misdemeanors.

Laura Wade Spencer
Laura Wade Spencer - photo by Courtesy of the Newton County Sheriff's Office
Newton County jury finds Covington man guilty of felony murder
Shane Robinson
Shane Robinson - photo by Courtesy of the Newton County Sheriff's Office
Kate Verity
Published: Mar 31, 2025, 9:15 PM

NEWTON COUNTY – On Monday afternoon, 30-year-old Shane Alexander Robinson of Covington was found guilty of killing Charles Edward Stanley III over three years ago.

The Newton County District Attorney’s Office released that a jury deemed that Robinson was guilty on three charges: Felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

On March 5, 2022, sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight, Robinson shot an AR-style firearm at a vehicle that Stanley was driving along Harvey Wood Drive. According to the District Attorney’s release, Robinson fired the weapon 13 times into the vehicle, killing Stanley.

According to a previous report by The Covington News, an arrest warrant stated that Robinson “grabbed his AR-15 (rifle) and drove” from his home to Harvey Wood Drive to “scare” Stanley.

“When Charles was backing up, Shane admitted to firing several rounds at the vehicle,” the 2022 warrant stated. “Furthermore, Shane also initially stated that he fired rounds at the vehicle as it was driving away.”

Robinson initially faced charges of murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, unauthorized discharge of firearms within 50 yards of the public highway, and reckless conduct. It is not clear if some of these charges were dismissed.

Sentencing is set for a later date, which has not been announced. A co-defendant’s case is still pending.