By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald<\/a><\/p>\n When local law enforcement is dispatched to the scene of a possible crime in progress, or perhaps to a scene where a crime may have been committed, but the scene has not been assessed nor secured, law enforcement walks in to a lot of unknowns.<\/p>\n They go in expecting and being prepared for anything \u2013 active shooter, hostages, and casualties — until first assessments are made and documented.<\/p>\n Such was the case on Dec. 24, 2022, at 600 Poplar St. in Guyton.<\/p>\n According to police reports, 9-1-1 received a call at 11:39 p.m. of a \u201cpossible home invasion and burglary\u201d at that location.<\/p>\n Guyton Police were familiar with the location and its resident \u2013 89-year-old Betty \u201cMiss Betty\u201d Badgett.<\/p>\n \u201cThey told me it was a reference to call at the address to a possible burglary or home invasion. So (while en route) I asked to speak to the supervisor on scene to see if there was anything actually stolen,\u201d said Lt. Joseph Coppola of Guyton Police.<\/p>\n Effingham County Sheriff deputies are dispatched to every 9-1-1 call within the county. If the incident is within the city limits of any of the three municipalities, that city\u2019s police department is also called. An Effingham County Sheriff deputy arrived first to secure the scene, while Coppola was en route.<\/p>\n Coppola recalled that while he was on his way to the scene, he called fellow Guyton Police Officer Don Williams at 11:51, who lived closer, and who was on scene nine minutes later, at midnight \u2013 21 minutes after the initial 9-1-1 call. Williams was scheduled to have Christmas Day off, but he arrived and took over the scene, and relieved the ECSO deputy.<\/p>\n Coppola arrived at the scene at 12:20 a.m.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a certain criteria whether basically, are you going to write a report for something we handle tomorrow, or do we need to come out right away?\u201d Coppola explained. \u201cI didn\u2019t get a call back until a couple of minutes later from the corporal on scene, and I was told that she believed that it was a home invasion. The door appeared to be kicked in and Miss Betty was unresponsive on the floor. Then Central Dispatch called me at 11:46 and they told me that she was actually deceased.\u201d<\/p>\n Because the scene was in Guyton, Guyton PD has to take over \u2013 everything from securing the scene to deciding next steps according to protocol.<\/p>\n Guyton Police officers, even when they\u2019re \u201coff duty\u201d are on call via cell phone, according to Chief James Breletic.<\/p>\n The four law enforcement agencies in Effingham County all work together. All the time.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we don\u2019t have an officer on duty in Guyton and a call comes in, the sheriff\u2019s office\u00a0will<\/i>\u00a0respond,\u201d Breletic said. \u201cThey\u2019ll assess the situation and they either call myself or the lieutenant and we leave from wherever we\u2019re at. We come out, it\u2019s turned over to us and we handle the case.\u201d<\/p>\n Breletic added that if the sheriff deputy writes a report, the report is forwarded to the Detective Division, then on to Guyton PD and they do the follow-up investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cSo whether we\u2019re out driving around or not. We\u2019re still involved in everything that happens in Guyton,\u201d Breletic said.<\/p>\n Breletic added that was one reason Officer Williams left his family on Christmas Eve \u2013 \u201cThey\u2019ll come in at the drop of a hat because everybody knows everybody in our neighborhood,\u201d Breletic said. \u201cWe\u2019re a family.\u201d<\/p>\n Officer Williams responded to the call because, \u201cHe had talked to Miss Betty (Badgett). He\u2019s been over to her house. He\u2019s brought her food; so that\u2019s why he ran right over to her, because she\u2019s family,\u201d Breletic added.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce I knew she was deceased, I wanted my one of my guys on scene to secure the scene. They know how we operate. They know what we want done. I wanted to make sure things were being done properly,\u201d Coppola continued. \u201cThe house was in disarray, but the house was always in disarray. It was always in very bad shape.\u201d<\/p>\n From past visits with Badgett, Coppola knew Miss Betty always left the front door slightly ajar but tied closed with a shoestring.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the deputy seeing the shoestring and the open door thinking it was kicked in.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t believe it had been kicked in,\u201d Lt. Coppola recalled. \u201cThe coroner did his observations, and we take a lot of what he says into account on where we should move forward; if we should handle it ourselves; or if we need GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation).\u201d<\/p>\n Coppola added the coroner\u2019s report stated there were no obvious bruises or marks \u2013 no signs of a struggle. \u201cEMS had said there were no vital signs. The body was not in rigor (mortis). We wanted to look further. It was very cold in the house. It was 25 degrees,\u201d Coppola added. \u201cShe had space heaters, but they were knocked over and turned off (due to the failsafe).\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Chief](\"https:\/\/statesboroherald.cdn-anvilcms.net\/media\/images\/2023\/10\/05\/images\/Photo_2_--_Chief_James_Breletic.width-500.jpg\")