MACON, Ga. — It's coming up on 25 years since someone shot Michael Hartness and left him to die on the road.
There have been no arrests made in the case. His daughter, Kristin Caruthers, said his family has missed him every single day since.
"I need closure," Caruthers said. "After 25 years, it's still - it's still really, really hard."
To his family, Hartness is more than a shooting victim. He was a husband, father, veteran and family man who didn't get a chance to overcome his demons.
On Oct. 1, 1999, Hartness was walking near Eisenhower Parkway when he was shot at least nine times. It happened around 9:00 p.m. at Harrison Road and Chambers Road.
Caruthers said she still carries with her all the lessons her dad passed down.
"He taught me how to stand up for myself, and not back down," Caruthers said. "Not be scared of anybody or anything."
Now, she's the one standing up for her father. He died at 41, the same age she is now.
"He would do stuff for laughs, because he liked to see other people happy," she said. "He really did, and he should be remembered for that."
Her dad wasn't perfect - Caruthers said he battled drug addiction and spent time in and out of jail for things like disorderly conduct and simple battery. Records from a previous 13WMAZ story show he was arrested more than a dozen times between 1983 and 1999.
Caruthers said that's only part of the picture.
"He was a good man," she said. "He would've taken his shirt off his back for anybody. He was a good dad. He did what he could for me."
She was only 16 years old when he died. It's the same age her daughter is now. She has three children, and all of them were robbed of knowing their Marine veteran granddad.
"It affects the family. It only affects the person murdered because they're murdered, they're not here anymore," Caruthers said. "But they're not suffering anymore either. We're left here to pick up the pieces."
Caruthers says her dad's story inspired her to help others. That's why she worked for over a decade as a licensed practical nurse. She really wishes she could have helped her dad, but three days after getting out of jail, someone shot him.
"Nobody knew my dad was out of jail except law enforcement and family," she said.
Someone anonymously posted his bail, adding another layer of questions for her family - questions she said the Bibb County Sheriff's Office won't answer.
"They won't call me back, they won't talk to me," Caruthers said. "They act like they don't know nothing, it's just really frustrating."
Over two decades later, it feels like the world's moved on, but for her family, they're still fighting to keep his memory alive, to find the person who shot him to death, and find out why.
We spoke with Bibb County Sheriff David Davis about this case. Davis was not sheriff at the time, and the original investigator on the case has since passed away.
If you have any information about the case, call the sheriff's office at 478-751-7500.
MORE THAN A NUMBER:
More Than A Number is a Poynter-Stand Together award-winning project by Justin Baxley designed to help families of loved ones impacted by tragedy and trauma interact with journalists in a less intrusive way. Families are able to fill out a form about their family and also receive an in-depth guide on the next steps.
More Than A Number officially launched in August 2023 with a streaming special available on 13WMAZ+ for on-demand streaming. For any questions or concerns about More Than A Number, contact us here at the following email: MoreThanANumber@13wmaz.com
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