Austin Todd Stryker will spend life behind bars for the 2019 murder of Hannah Bender
News December 17, 2021
DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. – Austin Todd Stryker, 24, of Dahlonega will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the 2019 murder of 21-year-old Hannah Bender.
Superior Court Judge Kathleen F. Gosselin handed down the sentence Wednesday, saying,“I cannot in good conscience give you the hope of parole in this case.” she added. Gosselin the murder was as “cold and manipulative” as any she had seen.
Stryker was convicted in November of shooting and stabbing the Lumpkin County woman 32 times and burying her body in a shallow grave. He was also convicted on 24 charges related to Bender’s death, including malice murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (SGTPA), concealing the death of another, and evidence tampering.
Austin Stryker found guilty in the murder of a Lumpkin County woman
Featured News, Featured Stories, News November 11, 2021
Austin Stryker
HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Austin Stryker was found guilty of the September 2019 murder of Hannah Bender Wednesday.
The Dawsonville man was convicted of 24 criminal charges including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and violations of the state Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
Isaac Thomas Huff and Dylan Patrick Reid, both of Dawsonville, testified that Stryker lured Bender from her home with the promise of a trip to Florida then shot her as they drove through Dawson County and stabbed when she did not die from the shooting.
Bender’s mother reported the Lumpkin County woman missing in on September 14, 2019. Her body was found three days later in a shallow grave in Dawson County. Stryker fled to Pennsylvania but surrendered to authorities in October.
Suspects in the Hannah Bender murder case plead not guilty
News March 13, 2020
DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. – Austin Todd Stryker, Dylan Patrick Reid, Isaac Huff and Jerry Nesbit Harper entered not guilty pleas yesterday (March 12) in Superior Court in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old Lumpkin County woman last September.
Authorities believe Hannah Bender was murdered in Lumpkin County and her body was taken to Forsyth County where it was discovered in a shallow ravine.
Stryker, 22, was indicted on charges of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, violating Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, concealing the death of another and tampering with evidence.
Reid, 20, and Isaac Huff, 19, both of Dawsonville, are accused of taking part in the crime and helping conceal her death. They were indicted on three counts of felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated battery and concealing the death of another.
A fourth suspect, 78-year-old Jerry Harper, was indicted on one count each of violating Georgia’s street gang law and hindering the apprehension of a criminal. According to his indictment, Harper helped hide Stryker days after Bender’s death while Stryker was the subject of a nationwide manhunt.
Stryker fled to Pennsylvania after the murder and was taken into custody on Oct. 2 by U.S. Marshals and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Four suspects in the Hannah Bender murder case will be arraigned in Superior Court March 12
News February 22, 2020
DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. – Four suspects indicted in connection with the murder of Hannah Bender last September will be arraigned in Superior Court next month.
Austin Todd Stryker, Dylan Patrick Reid, Isaac Huff and Jerry Nesbit Harper are scheduled to appear before Judge Kathlene F. Gosselin on March 12.
Authorities believe the 21-year-old woman was murdered in Lumpkin County then taken to Forsyth County where her body was discovered.
Stryker, 22, was indicted on charges of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, violating Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, concealing the death of another and tampering with evidence.
Reid, 20, and Isaac Huff, 19, both of Dawsonville, are accused of taking part in the crime and helping conceal her death. They were indicted on three counts of felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated battery and concealing the death of another.
A fourth suspect, 78-year-old Jerry Harper, was indicted on one count each of violating Georgia’s street gang law and hindering the apprehension of a criminal. According to his indictment, Harper helped hide Stryker days after Bender’s death while Stryker was the subject of a nationwide manhunt.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com