Estranged Husband Charged With Dispatcher’s Murder

White County (Geo.) dispatcher Stephanie Hart received a full honors funeral that included a procession through the city of Toccoa, an honor guard and a helicopter fly-over.

Hart, 21, was shot and killed by her estranged husband, Jonathan Hart. The suspect was later arrested as he walked along a highway in Monroe (La.), and charged with murder. Police found his car 100 miles from where he was found on foot. He was held without bail.

Jonathan Hart was later indicted on charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. His trial could begin in mid-2009.

The Harts had separated in 2007, according to Stephanie’s mother Janice Haslup, who is a dispatcher in Stephens County.

“Since she had left her husband, she’d just been trying to get everything back together and had her own apartment and was just really enjoying life,” Haslup said. “It seemed like he was going to leave her alone and let her go on about her life.”

Haslup said that her daughter wasn’t scare of Jonathan Hart. “We had no idea that he would ever hurt Stephanie this way,” she said.

Sheriff’s deputies said Stephanie was found dead at the residence she formerly shared with Jonathan, but that they didn’t know why she was there.

Haslup was recently commended for her handling of an incident. , who also works as a 911 operator, said Stephanie Hart loved her job and planned on a career as a 911 operator. She had recently been recognized in White County for a case she had handled especially well.

A funeral procession took Hart’s body through Toccoa, surrounded by emergency vehicles. Stephanie’s father Jeff is a captain with the Toccoa Fire Department, and so fire trucks lined the route of the procession.

The Toccoa Church of God was filled for the funeral, with Mount Airy mayor Gary Morris offering the eulogy. A line of emergency vehicles from across northern Georgia followed the hearse to the cemetery with their lights flashing.

At the cemetery, Stephanie was laid to rest accompanied by an honor guard. An Emory life flight helicopter performed a fly-by, followed by a traditional bell-ringing ceremony.