The Brief
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Three separate homes on the same Felton property have been deliberately burned down since 2024.
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ATF and FBI are now investigating possible racial motivation behind the repeated arsons.
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The latest home was torched immediately after law enforcement ended round-the-clock surveillance.
FELTON, Ga. – A Haralson County family has seen three homes burned to the ground on the same piece of land, and investigators now say federal agencies are looking into whether the crimes could be racially motivated.
What they’re saying
Zedrick Terrell said he and his wife moved to the quiet Felton community in Buchanan hoping for peace.
“My wife wanted space, I wanted land. Just something quiet,” Terrell said.
But the day after they closed on their new home in 2024, investigators say someone deliberately set it on fire.
What we know
Undeterred, the Terrells placed another home on the property in 2025. Anticipating it would be targeted, the Haralson County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with federal partners, installing cameras inside and outside the home, flying surveillance aircraft overhead and positioning the Crime Suppression Unit in the woods overnight for days.
Investigators believed the arsonist would strike within the first week. Instead, the fire came only after the surveillance operation ended.
“They forced the front door open and set a fire inside,” said Lt. Heather Mecillas with the sheriff’s office.
Deputies say this was not the first home destroyed on that land. Before the Terrells bought it, a developer had cleared the property and placed a trailer there. That structure was also intentionally burned.
“There are a lot of good people here in Felton, but there are also people who don’t want any kind of stranger here, any person from the outside,” Lt. Mecillas said.
What we don’t know
Investigators have not said who might be behind the arsons or how the suspect may have targeted the Terrells’ property.
It is also unclear what evidence points to a racial motive or when results from the ATF’s fingerprint and DNA testing will be ready.
Authorities have not released surveillance footage or confirmed whether any suspects have been questioned.
What’s next
The ATF is testing fingerprints and DNA recovered from the scene. The FBI is investigating whether the fires were racially motivated.
What you can do
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Haralson County Sheriff’s Office.
Friends have launched a GoFundMe to help the Terrell family, who were underinsured when the latest home was destroyed.
The Source
FOX 5’s Denise Dillon spoke with Lt. Heather Mecillas with the sheriff’s office, and property owner, Zedrick Terrell.
