Millen man found guilty in Wal-Mart attack

Stephen Mark Hall of Millen was found guilty of all counts related to an Oct. 14, 2005 attack on a woman and her granddaughter in the Statesboro Wal-Mart. A Bulloch County jury handed down the verdict Thursday, March 1, after less than an hour of deliberation.

Hall was found guilty on 17 charges: kidnapping with bodily harm, kidnapping, four counts of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm during the commission of felonies, cruelty to children, third degree cruelty to children and six counts of battery.

The incident occurred in a restroom at the rear of the store when Hall used a stun gun and pepper spray to attack the victim, knocking her two-year-old granddaughter from her arms and attempting to force her into a stall with a knife. The victim's screams were heard by Wal-Mart employees and shoppers who entered the bathroom to assist the victims.

Hall then fled the store, spraying those he encountered with pepper spray as he did so. He was eventually stopped in the parking lot of the store by a U.S. Marine Corps Reservist who drew a gun and held him at gunpoint until law enforcement arrived on the scene.

Sentencing is expected to occur at a later date.