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Apr 243 min read

The murder of DJ Juan Gatti (Stephon Edgerton)

Updated: Apr 25


Stephon with his daughter Mia, shortly before his murder.


He was a popular South Georgia Disc Jockey, musician and father of three when he was ambushed outside the local radio station late one Friday night in January of 2012. DJ Juan Gatti… known to friends and family as Stephon Edgerton… was shot three times by an unknown assailant.


As he lay dying in the dewey grass, he managed to call 911 and stay on the phone with first responders for nearly 10 minutes, coherently providing details of the ambush- and his killer. Sadly, he would eventually succumb to his injuries at the hospital.






Stephon's wife, Hilda, was at home sleeping when deputies came knocking on her door. She described Stephon as a religious family man who had no known enemies.



Stephon 'DJ Juan Gatti' Edgerton and the family he was taken from.


Several years after his death, investigators with the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office pointed to a theory involving an area drug dealer who went by the street name, "white boy." The sheriff's office claimed that Stephon had mentioned the nickname in the 911 call. Unfortunately, "white boy" was reportedly killed just a few years after Stephon's death.


The 911 Call


Stephon's 911 call was kept under wraps for nearly ten years, until Katie started investigating the case for her 'Unsolved Georgia' series for WCTV, the CBS News affiliate in Tallahassee, Fla. It was only after she obtained the 911 call and listened to Stephon's dying words herself, that she realized the "white boy" theory- did hold any water.


At no point in time during the call are the words "white boy" mentioned. Stephon clearly states a "white man," about 5'9 wearing all black and a mask committed the crime using a .38 revolver. The man may also have been wearing a bullet proof vest.



Stephon with his sons Christian and Winston.

Now, several years after Katie's report, the sheriff's office has seemingly reversed course and recently acknowledged there is no known connection between Stephon and the late drug dealer "white boy."


You can hear more about the case, exactly how Stephon described his killer, and his own assassination in this episode. Plus, you can learn more about the family and colleagues he left behind.


Someone, somewhere, knows something. If it is you, do what's right and call the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office at 229-671-2958. 


Stephon, and his widow and three children, deserve justice and answers.



Case photos:




Valdosta's Power 96.7 radio station was known as the "voice of the black community," according to local residents. DJ Juan Gatti had built up a large following over roughly six years. He was ambushed on the grass in front of the building after his shift late one Friday night in 2012.





These images show the layout of the radio station property (identified above left as Waac-FM Valdosta). The building was located at the end of Dee Rivers Drive (above center), which juts off of Highway 221. The killer is believed to have hid in the bushes before the ambush and then left in the same direction. He likely had a get-away vehicle parked near a power line clearing (above right) that paralleled the property and opened to the highway.



The city of Valdosta has a long history of racial trauma, which some speculate may have played a roll in the "white boy" theory. Pictured above is civil rights activist Reverend Floyd Rose inside the church where Stephon was the Minister of Music. The church is located along a street named in honor of a Confederate General, while the interior is modeled after the hull of a slave ship.




The radio station plays tribute to DJ Juan Gatti after his murder.














Stephon was a military Veteran.
Stephon was a military Veteran.














Stephon was known for his upbeat personality and peace signs.



 

Sources:


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