Eternal Vigilance Action

06/26/2026

We got another one!

After 30 years, a Hazlehurst man has been charged with Felony Murder and Malice Murder in connection with the 1996 homicide of 54-year-old James Hand.

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Hazlehurst, Jeff Davis County, GA (June 24, 2026) - The GBI has charged Zachary B. Harper, age 47, of Hazlehurst, GA, with one count of Felony Murder and one count of Malice Murder in connection with the 1996 homicide of 54-year-old James Hand.

On June 1, 1996, Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office (JDCSO) deputies discovered Hand’s body with multiple gunshot wounds on the roof of the Full Gospel Church of Snipesville in Jeff Davis County, GA. The initial investigation showed that Hand, the pastor of the church, was repairing the roof when he was shot and killed. Shortly after discovering Hand’s body, JDCSO requested the GBI to assist with the investigation. Additional information obtained during this investigation led to Harper being charged in connection to Hand’s death. Over the past 30 years, the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Douglas and the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office have remained committed to seeking answers in Hand’s death.

Harper is currently incarcerated at Jenkins Correctional Facility and serving a life sentence on unrelated charges.

This investigation is still active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at 912-389-4103. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

05/01/2026

Eternal Vigilance Action joined organizations from across the political spectrum today in urging the Georgia State Election Board to stay within the limits of its lawful authority.

The issue before the Board is not whether someone prefers ballot marking devices or hand-marked paper ballots. The issue is whether an unelected state board has the legal power to order all 159 counties to make a fundamental change in Georgia’s voting system when the General Assembly has not authorized it. It does not.

Georgia law still requires the use of ballot marking devices and ballot scanners, and it requires uniform voting equipment across the state. SB 189 changes how ballots may be tabulated beginning July 1, 2026, by prohibiting QR code, bar code, or similar coding from serving as the basis for official tabulation, but it does not authorize the State Election Board to replace Georgia’s voting system by rule.

The Georgia Supreme Court made this point unmistakably clear in Republican National Committee v. Eternal Vigilance Action: the State Election Board may adopt rules only when those rules are consistent with existing law. The Board cannot use rulemaking to rewrite statutes, expand its own powers, or solve legislative problems by pretending the General Assembly has given it authority it has not given.

EVA supports responsible, lawful implementation of Georgia’s election laws. We also believe that process matters. If Georgia’s voting system needs to change, that decision belongs to the legislature, not to an administrative board acting beyond its statutory authority.

We urge the State Election Board to reject any rule that would mandate a statewide transition to hand-marked paper ballots absent clear legislative authorization. The Board should respect the law, respect the separation of powers, and avoid inviting another round of litigation that Georgia’s election system does not need.

04/30/2026

Official trailer is out for the Dateline episode about Tara Baker.

04/28/2026

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04/17/2026

The recording of our post session briefing on SB 189 implementation and the July 1st Deadline is now available via YouTube.

Post Session Briefing on SB 189 Implementation and the July 1, 2026 Deadline