Authorities on Friday identified a couple killed Thursday afternoon after a tree landed on their Gwinnett County home.
Grant Godbee, 24, and Mary Pence, 23, were found dead in their bed in the 500 block of Garner Street, the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office told AJC.com.
The man’s brother called 911 about noon and reported that the tree had fallen onto the home near Buford, according to Gwinnett police spokesman Cpl. Collin Flynn.
Authorities said he drove to the house to check on the couple after being unable to reach anyone by phone. He arrived to discover the tree on the home and vehicles in the driveway.
The tree had cracked and split down the middle, according to Capt. Tommy Rutledge with the Gwinnett fire department. Half of it had crashed through the home’s roof, causing it to collapse and pinning the couple to their bed.
Hyosub Shin
Hyosub Shin
They had been married less than a year and were preparing to celebrate their one-year anniversary next month, Channel 2 Action News reported. Friends told the news station Godbee worked in production and was part of the local Christian band FRVR Free.
Gwinnett fire officials said the department’s technical rescue team had to use a large boon from a wrecker to stabilize the tree so crews could get to their bodies.
“We don’t want the tree to roll or cause any further damage,” Rutledge said Thursday. "We are trying to release some of the pressure just so we can recover the bodies. It’s an extensive operation and a very tragic scene.”
The deaths brought the total to three in metro Atlanta blamed on Tropical Storm Zeta, which ushered in destructive winds that toppled trees and power lines.
Earlier Thursday, a man was killed when a tree fell onto a mobile home in Cherokee County.
About the Author
