Putnam County authorities are still investigating what Sheriff Howard Sills has described as a bizarre case involving the weekend suicide of a prominent Augusta businessman.
Jay Robert Weinberger, who lived in Augusta and part-time at Lake Oconee in Greene County, was laid to rest in graveside services at Magnolia Cemetery in Augusta today. Mr. Weinberger was co-owner with his brother, Mark, of Weinberger’s Furniture and Mattress Showcase on Washington Road. The family also had a business by the same name at Lake Oconee in Greene County.
Contacted this afternoon, Mark Weinberger said that he wasn’t ready to comment on his brother’s death. He said the family had just returned from the funeral, and he agreed to make a statement later.
Sheriff Sills admitted in an interview today that there are more questions than answers in the case. He indicated that his office hasn’t had much time to examine evidence because of the Labor Day weekend.
“We’ll begin looking at it closer on Tuesday,” Sheriff Sills said. “We’ll likely look into this man’s past a little closer, too, because of the circumstances. This is a very bizarre case.”
Sheriff Sills said Jay Weinberger refused to pull over for a traffic stop on Harmony Road in northern Putnam County about 4 a.m. Saturday.
“One of my deputies attempted to stop him by activating his blue lights and siren, but Mr. Weinberger wouldn’t pull over,” Sheriff Sills said.
Deputy John Saunders had noticed an expired tag on a white concession trailer being pulled by Mr. Weinberger. The pursuit continued for about three miles before Mr. Weinberger pulled over near the intersection of U.S. Highway 441, Sheriff Sills said.
As Deputy Saunders was preparing to get out of his patrol car, the sheriff said, Mr. Weinberger’s pickup truck lunged forward and traveled erratically for about 75 yards before veering off the roadway and into a ditch. Sheriff Sills said he believes that Mr. Weinberger shot himself when he stopped.
Mr. Weinberger, whose 47th birthday was Friday, was found slumped over in the driver’s seat of his Chevrolet Silverado pickup, which still had a paper tag from Milton Ruben Chevrolet in Augusta. Mr. Weinberger was wearing a pair of red and black golf-style gloves and had a pair of bolt cutters and other tools in the cab of the truck, Sheriff Sills said.
The trailer Mr. Weinberger had been pulling was stolen, the sheriff said. Two more trailers – one of them stolen in July from its owner in Putnam County – were discovered at the Weinbergers’ warehouse off River Watch Parkway on Saturday, authorities said.
“One of the trailers had no identifiers (serial numbers) on it,” Richmond County sheriff’s Lt. Scott Peebles said today.
He explained that the case belongs to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department.
“We’re only offering our assistance to them,” Lt. Peebles said.
Sheriff Sills said that at least a half dozen trailers “are linked to Mr. Weinberger in some way.”
Chronicle Staff Writer LaTina Emerson contributed to this story.
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That was fast.
This is very sad for the family, but let's get serious here and stop with the cannonisation. He was involved in illegal activity and chose to take the easy way out. He left his family without a husband and a father.
Jewish people have strict rules about burying people within 24 or 48 hours or something like that, so this is not at all unusual. RIP.
I am curious why there is such an outpouring of sympathy for a thief?
Perhaps the sympathy is more for the wife and children left behind to deal with this horrible mess. Obviously, there were deep problems when you're out at 4 am with a gun committing a crime. He did have a residence in Greensboro, so it was probably easy to be out without anyone knowing. This apparently is very complex and I feel badly for his kids most of all. I'm glad no one else was hurt (like a shootout with police). The hurt for those left behind will, unfortunately, never end. It's a reality that you never really know someone, I suppose. Scary.