Jury finds defendant not guilty of 2017 murder

Mar. 23—A Glynn County man was found not guilty by a jury Tuesday in Glynn County Superior Court of invading a home a Chicago man was flipping in 2017 and murdering him.

Brad Austin Potter was accused in October 2018 along with Pamela Lynn Collins by Glynn County police of breaking into the home Antoni Zalewski was remodeling on Old Jesup Road on Dec. 8, 2017 and shooting him to death.

Police said at the time that Zalewski had been selling and giving away fixtures from the home as he remodeled it and that he had been in town for less than a week when he was killed.

The jury found Potter not guilty of eight charges, including malice murder, felony murder, home invasion, burglary and associated firearms charges.

Collins faced similar charges. She pleaded guilty before Brunswick Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Stephen Scarlett in March 2022 via a negotiated plea deal to home invasion, according to Glynn County Superior Court records. Murder and burglary charges were dropped against Collins. She was sentenced to serve eight years in prison and two more years on probation after her release.

Brunswick Judicial Circuit Judge Roger Lane presided over Potter's trial.

Defense attorney Arnold Ragas represented Potter, and Elizabeth Presley prosecuted the case for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney's office.

"As a public defender who travels the state, I live and breathe to fight for innocent poor people like Brad Potter," Ragas said. "Brad and I are grateful the jury paid attention and that justice prevailed."