From Hazel Short’s appeal: On the night of Thursday, April 14, 1983, Donald Glen Everett knocked at the door of Catherine Louise Tucker Whitehead’s apartment in Rockdale County and told her that she had an emergency phone call at a nearby pay telephone from her fiance, John Short. Ms. Whitehead and Short had been dating for some time and were planning to be married in June of that year.
The next morning Ms. Whitehead’s mother discovered Ms. Whitehead’s car next to the pay telephone. The receiver was off the hook and dangling by its cord. The car’s door was open and the keys were missing. Both the GBI and FBI became involved as kidnapping was suspected.
The appellant became the primary suspect. The investigation indicated that the appellant had a grudge against the 21-year-old Ms.
Whitehead because the younger woman’s fiance, John Short, was the appellant’s former husband of approximately 21 years. The investigation also indicated that the appellant and Ms. Whitehead had been involved in a fight. Police suspicions heightened when during an interview the appellant contended that she did not know Ms. Whitehead. Despite the efforts of the authorities, Ms. Whitehead was not located and no charges were brought.
Almost one year later, Donald Glen Everett was arrested based on statements he had made to others regarding Ms. Whitehead. On March 15, 1984, he admitted his involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Ms. Whitehead, and took the authorities to an abandoned well in Gwinnett County where he stated that he had thrown the lifeless body of Ms. Whitehead.
The remains of a partially, though severely, burned and badly decomposed body were removed from the well. Some clothing and a blue blanket were also removed. The remains and the clothing removed from the well were determined to be those of Ms. Whitehead. The precise cause of death could not be determined due to the decomposition of the remains, but it was determined that the death was a homicide.
Everett’s confession implicated the appellant, Tina Short, and Nickie Ford. Ford was apprehended and confessed his involvement in the crimes. Tina Short was apprehended in Nashville, Tennessee, and also confessed her involvement in the crimes. All of the confessions were basically similar. All parties confessed that they were involved in a plan to abduct Ms. Whitehead, and that the plan was carried out. Tina Short and Everett also confessed to differing degrees of complicity in the murder and concealment of the crime.
Find-A-Grave: Catherine Louise “Cathy” Tucker Whitehead
Hazel Louise Short v State of Georgia 1986 (conviction and sentence affirmed)
Tina Louise Short v State of Georgia 1986 (conviction and sentence affirmed)
Movies/Documentaries
Your Worst Nightmare: Cooking With Fire
INMATE INFORMATION
NAME: SHORT, HAZEL L
GDC ID: 0000142225
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
YOB: 1943
RACE: WHITE
GENDER: FEMALE
HEIGHT: 5’05”
WEIGHT: 160
EYE COLOR: HAZEL
HAIR COLOR: BLN&STR
SCARS, MARKS, TATTOOS
INCARCERATION DETAILS
MAJOR OFFENSE: MURDER
MOST RECENT INSTITUTION: PULASKI STATE PRISON
MAX POSSIBLE RELEASE DATE: LIFE
ACTUAL RELEASE DATE: CURRENTLY SERVING
CURRENT STATUS: ACTIVE
KNOWN ALIASES
A.K.A. SHORT,HAZEL CRISWELL
A.K.A. SHORT,HAZEL L
A.K.A. SHORT,HAZEL L C
STATE OF GEORGIA – CURRENT SENTENCES
CASE NO: 181069
OFFENSE: MURDER
CONVICTION COUNTY: GWINNETT COUNTY
CRIME COMMIT DATE: 04/16/1983
SENTENCE LENGTH: NOT AVAILABLE
CASE NO: 181069
OFFENSE: KIDNAPPING
CONVICTION COUNTY: ROCKDALE COUNTY
CRIME COMMIT DATE: 04/14/1983
SENTENCE LENGTH: NOT AVAILABLE
STATE OF GEORGIA – PRIOR SENTENCES
STATE OF GEORGIA – INCARCERATION HISTORY
INCARCERATION BEGIN: 06/27/1985
INCARCERATION END: ACTIVE
