Reasonable to believe murdered golf pro wasn't a target: Mark Eiglarsh
Police say it appears Gene Siller was not a target, but was killed after witnessing a crime in progress. Criminal Defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh discusses the case.
The wife of a Georgia golf pro who was killed in a triple murder over the July 4 weekend spoke out for the first time this week since her husband's tragic death.
"Gene wouldn’t want us to cry or be sad or to mourn. He would want us to celebrate him and do something for other people," Ashley Siller told WSB-TV about her husband.
Gene Siller was shot and killed just four days before turning 47 when he went to see why a pickup truck had driven on the 10th green of the Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, about 30 miles northwest of Atlanta.
Gen Siller leaves behind his wife, Ashley, as well as their two sons. (Fox 5 Atlanta)
When Siller came upon the "crime in progress," police say that 23-year-old Bryan Rhoden shot him.
Siller is survived by his wife, 5-year-old son, 7-year-old son, parents and two sisters.
Police found two other bodies bound and gagged in the bed of the pickup truck with gunshots wounds. They were later identified as 46-year-old Henry Valdez and 76-year-old Paul Pierson.
A suspect driving this white pickup truck shot golf pro Gene Siller on July 3. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Rhoden was arrested on July 8 and charged with three counts of murder, three counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of kidnapping.
Just nine hours after allegedly murdering the three men, Rhoden was pulled over while driving a black Maserati without its headlights on and arrested for DUI but was released two days later, FOX5 Atlanta reported. He was then arrested on the murder charges two days later.
Bryan Rhoden, 23, was arrested five days after the shootings and charged with three counts of murder, three counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of kidnapping. (Cobb County Sheriff's Office)
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Brian Panosian, a member of the Pinetree Board of Directors and Golf and Greens Chair, said that Siller will be missed by the entire club.
"Any pro would have a challenge with nearly 550 members, but Gene was beloved," Panosian said in a statement. "He not only attended to the members, but took care of the members’ guests. If you are going to create a demeanor for a golf professional, who has to deal with so many different personalities, Gene would be where you want to start."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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