The episode of “The First 48” that followed the Gwinnett County Police Department’s investigation of the murder of George Young airs tonight on A&E.
The episode comes just weeks after Tia Young, George Young's wife, and Harvey "Tim" Lee, a longtime family friend, were convicted of George Young's November 2017 killing. George Young gave Lee a job and allowed him to live in his family's home rent-free when he heard Lee had fallen on hard times. Lee eventually began paying rent, but he also started a secret romantic affair with Tia Young. Prosecutors argued in trial earlier this month that Tia Young and Lee conspired to kill George Young for a $1 million insurance policy.
READ | Prosecutor: Wife, lover killed Gwinnett man for $1M insurance policy
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The true crime docu-series has had an agreement with the Gwinnett County Police Department since August 2017. Gwinnett County was chosen in part due to its high clearance rate — amount of cases solved — generally between 88 and 90 percent, Chief Butch Ayers said in 2017. A sole cameraman follows Gwinnett County detectives to nearly every homicide they respond to, and the show focuses on the first 48 hours of the investigations.
Tia Young and Tim Lee were not charged with George Young’s murder until months after the killing. In the days immediately following George Young’s death, Tia Young appeared on Channel 2 Action News, crying and seemingly distraught over losing her husband.
Lee’s attorney in the early April murder case argued that the “First 48” cameraman could have contaminated the murder scene or compromised key evidence in the case. Detectives and investigators said during trial that the camera man never entered the Young home or crossed crime scene tape that restricted the actual scene of George Young’s killing to police officials.
Lee and Tia Young were convicted of the murder April 5 and sentenced April 11. Tia Young was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole plus three years for conviction charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and criminal attempt to tamper with evidence. Lee was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for conviction charges of malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault.
The show airs at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 25 on A&E.
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