MEDIA RELEASE
On Tuesday, August 22, 2017, at approximately 5:49 AM Deputies with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office responded to 4408 Hiram Sudie Road Hiram, GA 30141 (Paulding County) in reference to a death investigation. Once Deputies arrived on the scene, they determined that a white female, later identified as Beth Bishop-Harris (W/F, 39 YOA) was deceased inside the residence.
When Detectives arrived, they spoke with the victim’s husband who is also the person who called 911. Throughout the course of this investigation, the husband, who was identified as Charles Harris (W/M, 36 YOA), has cooperated with authorities. Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and Agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are still actively working this case. Upon further examination into the incident, it has been determined that Mrs. Harris’ cause of death will be ruled as a homicide. Detectives and Agents are still awaiting the autopsy results to determine the manner of death. Once they processed the crime scene, Detectives and Agents discovered that it appeared as if someone attempted to start a fire in the residence in order to conceal the way in which the victim was murdered.
On August 23, 2017, at approximately 8:56 AM a motorist passed a person walking in the area of 1663 Mulberry Rock Road that matched Derek Jess Renfroe’s (W/M 32 YOA) description. When Deputies made contact with the male, they immediately determined that it was in fact, Renfroe.
A short time later, Renfroe voluntarily went to the Sheriff’s Office where he spoke with Detectives and Agents about the incident. As a result of their conversation, Detectives and Agents charged Renfroe with the murder of Beth Bishop-Harris. Renfroe will be held in the Paulding County Jail without bond on the following charges:
-Malice Murder (F)
-Aggravated Assault (F)
-Arson 1st Degree (F)
-Tampering With Evidence (F)
The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation would like to thank the community for the overwhelming response when the request for assistance was made in this case. Without the support of the community, we may not have been able to make this arrest as quickly. If you have any additional information about this case, please call Detectives/Agents at (770) 443-3015.