ROCKDALE COUNTY – On January 25, 2025, at approximately 6:43 PM, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) responded to a report of a hit-and-run involving a single-car on Turner Rd and Sherrie Lane, near the Rockdale County and Dekalb County lines.
When deputies arrived on the scene at 6:49 PM, the driver of the vehicle fled prior to their arrival. During the investigation, the driver’s mother arrived at the scene and informed deputies that her son, Shaquel Liburd, suffers from a traumatic brain injury resulting from a previous accident.
The mother mentioned that she was on the phone with Mr. Liburd while in the presence of RCSO deputies and encouraged him to return to the scene, but her efforts were unsuccessful. In response, deputies initiated a Mattie’s Call at approximately 9:37 PM and began a search and rescue operation.
The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from Rockdale County Fire Rescue, Conyers Police Department, Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Georgia State Patrol. Canine (K-9) searches, Drone searches, Helicopter searches, and Foot Canvasses were conducted.
The search covered a wide area between Turner Road and Iris Drive and surrounding residential areas and businesses in Stonecrest. Deputies also searched the area where Mr. Liburd’s phone last pinged. Both the drones and the helicopter used were equipped with Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) technology, which detects infrared radiation and converts it into visible images to help locate individuals.
Despite extensive efforts, deputies were unable to locate the driver, Mr. Liburd. The search concluded at approximately 11:43 PM on January 25, 2025.
On January 26, 2025, the body of Mr. Liburd was recovered in Dekalb County.
Deputy C. Nesbitt
Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office
Public Information Officer
