Houston County District Attorney George Hartwig filed a Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty and Notice of Statutory Aggravating Circumstances today in Houston Superior Court as to Richard Grant Sybert. Richard Sybert is one of three individuals charged in the 2011 murder-for-hire killing of Joni Clements.
Mrs. Clements was shot inside the couple's Westwood Drive home in Warner Robins during the late afternoon or early evening hours of February 8, 2011. In late March 2011, police charged Richard Sybert with committing her murder along with his father, Robert Sybert, and James “Eddie” Clements, husband of the victim.
On June 28, 2011, a Houston County Grand Jury returned a true bill of indictment as to James “Eddie” Clements, Richard Sybert and Robert Sybert. The trio were indicted (Indictment 2011-C-44699-L) on charges of:
Malice Murder & Felony Murder (2 counts)
Conspiracy to Commit Murder
Aggravated Battery & Aggravated Assault
Kidnapping with Bodily Injury
Possession of Firearm During a Crime (4 counts)
Use of a Sawed-off Rifle to Commit Murder
Use of a Firearm with Silencer to Commit Murder
In addition, the Grand Jury found several aggravating circumstances, including, committing murder for purpose of receiving money, causing another to commit murder as an agent or employee, and committing murder while engaged in Aggravated Battery, Kidnapping with Bodily Injury, and Burglary.
James “Eddie” Clements and the Syberts are scheduled for arraignment at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, January 25th in Houston Superior Court.