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Dawsonville man held in woman's death
Body of Effingham County woman found in Dawson County
Benjamin Kelly Mullinax
Benjamin Kelly Mullinax
DAWSONVILLE — Authorities have arrested two Dawsonville men in the death of an Effingham County woman who was in the area to visit her children for the holidays.

Authorities are seeking murder warrants for Jesse James Kilgore, 40, of Dawsonville in the death of Jennifer West Budrawich.

Kilgore is the father of one of her children and is Jennifer Budrawich's stepfather, according to authorities.

Benjamin Kelly Mullinax, 27, of Dawsonville has been booked on charges he tampered with evidence.

The body of 21-year-old Budrawich was found Sunday afternoon in a river in western Dawson County, according to authorities.

Budrawich's body was found more than 24 hours after a frantic 911 call came into Dawson County dispatch, according to Dawson County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Tony Wooten.

A woman's voice can be heard on the recording asking, "Why are you shooting us? Why did you bring me down here to the river?"

The 911 call was received by authorities at around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, which launched an investigation into the disappearance of Budrawich and her husband.

Paul Budrawich, Jennifer Budrawich's husband, still is missing. He is described as being in his early 30s and considered to be in extreme danger. Today, authorities will continue searching for Paul Budrawich where his wife's body was found.

The Budrawichs were in town to visit her children for the holidays. The couple was scheduled to visit the children around 11 a.m. that day and did not show, which was unlike them, said Wooten.

The couple's car was found in the parking lot of the IGA grocery store in neighboring Pickens County around 11 p.m. Saturday.

Authorities have reviewed video surveillance from nearby businesses. Wooten said investigators have determined the Budrawichs were not in the vehicle when it was left at the shopping center.

Wooten said a suspect has not been named at this time.
Authorities are conducting interviews and anyone with information is asked to call the Dawson County Sheriff's Office at 706-344-3535.

Kilgore is no stranger to Dawson County authorities. He was one of three Dawsonville men arrested in June when authorities recovered thousands of dollars of stolen goods taken earlier in the year from two homes in Dawson County. Kilgore, his son Jessie Archie Kilgore, 19, and James Adam Rogers, 30, are accused of taking household fixtures, appliances and furniture to furnish a home the elder Kilgore was building in western Dawson County.

All three were indicted in September on numerous theft charges.