A former cook who helped take the seafood offerings of a Waycross restaurant “to the next level” was arrested and charged last week with murder and other felonies in connection to a 16year-old case in Coffee County.
Willie James Jr., 58 of Wayne County, was arrested March 2 and charged in the death of Sandra Robinson in March, 2010, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news conference.
James, working at a restaurant in Valdosta when apprehended, worked for more than a year at Pop Bellies Seafood, Steak and Grill, 1159 Ossie Davis Parkway, owner Daniel Mitchell said.
Mitchell said James worked in Waycross from October, 2024 until last November when he moved to Valdosta to cook for Mitchell’s brother, Jake, who owns Pop Bellies Express there.
“He was a great employee,” said Daniel Mitchell, who’s owned the Waycross restaurant since 2021. “He was a good guy and a great cook. He took my seafood to another level. I hated to lose him.
“He’s almost 60 years old now, so he might’ve been a whole different person back then. Fifteen years ago, I have no idea who he was.”
James was charged with Malice Murder, Felony Murder, and Aggravated Assault in connection to the stabbing death of Robinson, age 32 at the time, the GBI said in announcing the arrest. After being taken into custody, James was booked into the Coffee County Jail.
The GBI said its Regional Investigative Office in Douglas was requested by the Douglas Police Department to assist on March 17, 2010, with a death investigation at the Prepaid (cellphone) Superstore on S. Madison Avenue in Douglas.
James Jr.
Robinson, a mother of four, was working at the phone store when she was killed. James was an associate of Robinson and could often be found at the store, authorities said. As a result of continued testing, James was able to be linked to the crime through forensic evidence.
Daniel Mitchell said the entire episode had him “puzzled.” Mitchell said James frequently visited a food distribution outlet in Douglas for the restaurant.
“Douglas was right next door so it wasn’t like he was running (from the crime),” the restaurateur said. “He never missed a day of work. Personally, I miss him as far as the restaurant.”
“We talked every day. We thanked God for the success of the day and how we can do better. I never had an idea he could’ve been caught up in anthing like that.”
Over the years, the GBI said its investigators and the DPD diligently followed every lead and remained unwavering in their commitment to finding the truth surrounding the death of Robinson. This arrest represented the culmination of those continued efforts, the GBI said.
The GBI also thanked the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol, Waycross Police Department, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, and Valdosta Police Department for assistance during the investigation and in locating and arresting James.
Authorities sought to apprehend James in Waycross before his eventual capture.
This investigation is still active and ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at (912) 389-4103. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
