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The District Attorney announces the conviction by guilty plea of Zachery Robert Sibley in Carroll County Superior Court today. The defendant pleaded guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and False Imprisonment for the reckless shooting death of Cullie Denney in Carroll County. Mr. Sibley received a total twenty years with the first twelve to be served in prison followed by eight years on probation. The defendant was sentenced by Senior Superior Court Judge Aubrey Duffey who denied the defendant’s request to be sentenced as a first offender.
During the evening and early morning hours between December 10th and 11th of last year, the defendant and some friends, including Mr. Cullie Denney, were gathered at another friend’s home for a party. During the course of the evening, copious amounts of alcohol were consumed by the people present, including the defendant. Earlier, Sibley had purchased a handgun equipped with a laser pointer and, during the course of the evening, demonstrated the weapon’s use by firing live rounds. Later, thinking the firearm’s chamber was empty, he squeezed the trigger while pointing the handgun at Mr. Denney. The victim was shot through the head, receiving a wound the medical examiner described as inevitably, though not immediately, fatal. A friend called 911, but, before emergency responders could arrive, Sibley and others put Mr. Denny in the back of the defendant’s truck to take him to the hospital. When all others refused to accompany the defendant and victim to the hospital, the defendant alone departed with Mr. Denney. At some point in his journey to the hospital, Sibley panicked and drove to a remote area north of Lake Seaton near Whitesburg, where he left the still breathing Mr. Denney.
When interviewed by law enforcement, the defendant lied and first told investigators he had in fact taken Mr. Denney to the hospital and even pointed out the spot where he left the victim. He then changed his story and said he dropped Mr. Denney at a florist shop. Eventually, he admitted his deception and told law enforcement officers where the victim could be located. When the officers arrived at Lake Seaton, they found Cullie Denney still alive and transported him to Tanner Medical Center. From Tanner he was immediately transferred to Atlanta Medical Center where he died of his wounds. Follow-up inquiries by the District Attorney’s office revealed that the fatal nature of Mr. Denney’s wound was caused by the gunshot at the time the wound was inflicted and was not caused by the delay in medical treatment.
After thorough consultations with the Denny family, District Attorney Pete Skandalakis and Senior Assistant District Attorney Jeff Hunt negotiated the sentence handed down by the Court. Prior to this day, the defendant and the parents of Cullie Denney met face to face at a meeting held without any of the lawyers present. While the substance of the meeting is undisclosed, the Denneys did express a hope that Mr. Sibley would turn his life around and become a productive member of the community. Mr. Skandalakis says he is hopeful this plea and sentence will help the Denneys cope with their loss and help them remember their son as he was in life.