‘Loving and kind’ elderly couple in Georgia killed in double homicide during targeted home burglary

A suspect accused of committing a double homicide while burglarizing the home of an elderly couple in Georgia has been taken into custody, authorities said.

On Sept. 11, the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home of Fred and Peggy White, where deputies discovered 65-year-old Peggy’s body outside the home and her husband, Fred, 70, across the street, Savannah television station WTGS reported.

The sheriff’s office said the “isolated” and “targeted” incident was caught on home surveillance video, and the suspect allegedly robbed the couple of guns and money.

On Sept. 13 around 3 p.m., investigators in Macon spotted a vehicle that matched the description of a car seen in the immediate area the morning before the murders.

Officers stopped the driver, Charles Rowland, “and observed that he matched the suspect seen in the video from the victims' residence,” the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office said.

Rowland was detained and investigators served search warrants on his home and car, allegedly recovering evidence that linked him to the murders, authorities said.

Rowland was being held in the Twiggs County Jail. His charges include two counts each of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and burglary. Additional charges may be pending.

Family told Macon’s WMAZ-TV in a statement that the Whites were a “loving and kind” couple. “They were so forgiving even if someone did anything wrong to them. They would still help you. All you had to do was ask them. They loved God, their family, and they showed God’s love daily through kindness to others.”

Friend Danielle Cheshire told the station the murdered pair were “some of the best people you'll ever meet in your life.” She added: “They would literally, and I mean this, they would literally give you the shirt off their back if you asked for it."