A Georgia groom, Aaron Derek White, 33, has been indicted on felony murder and aggravated assault charges in the shooting death of his bride’s stepfather, Jason Maughon, 44, during a July 14, 2024 wedding reception in Butts County, officials said. The case resurfaced this week after prosecutors presented new analysis to a grand jury that returned the charges.
Prosecutors said the confrontation began at the reception after relatives argued over an unruly guest. White told investigators he acted in self-defense, claiming Maughon struck him and later charged at him as gunfire erupted nearby. The case drew unusual public disagreement between the county’s top prosecutor and the sheriff. After an initial grand jury in 2025 declined to indict, the district attorney resubmitted the case, citing additional ballistics findings. White was arrested and later granted a $100,000 bond as the homicide case moves forward.
Witness accounts describe a chaotic scene that started on the dance floor and spilled outside the venue. According to investigative summaries described by officials, a relative who had been asked to leave fired a gun, sending guests running. White said he ran toward his truck, retrieved his handgun and fired as Maughon advanced. Deputies found Maughon mortally wounded; White had a gunshot injury to a hand. “I felt it was a life-or-death situation,” White said in a television interview. Butts County Sheriff Gary Long publicly backed White’s self-defense claim, calling it “the clearest case of self-defense” he has seen in decades of law enforcement.
Towaliga Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jonathan Adams said the facts warranted an indictment after additional forensic review. Adams said that while Georgia law allows self-defense, “you better be right if you’re going to kill someone.” Court records identify the victim as Maughon, 44, and list the charges against White as felony murder and aggravated assault. Officials said a first grand jury convened in April 2025 found insufficient evidence to indict White for murder; some aggravated assault counts considered then were later dismissed. With the ballistics report now in hand, Adams presented the case again to a new panel, which returned the felony murder and aggravated assault charges. The number of rounds fired at the scene remains under review, and authorities have not publicly identified the relative who allegedly fired first.
The shooting happened in Butts County, about 50 miles south of Atlanta, at a reception for White and his wife, Kailagh White, who is Maughon’s stepdaughter. The episode unfolded hours after the couple exchanged vows. Records and statements from 2024 and 2025 describe several flashpoints: an intoxicated guest, a fist to the groom’s face, and two groups retreating toward the parking area and nearby woods where shots rang out. In the months after the killing, investigators from the sheriff’s office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation interviewed guests and collected firearms evidence as the case moved through the grand jury process. The victim’s family has not issued a detailed public statement about the new indictment.
With the indictment filed, White was arrested and later released on a $100,000 bond while awaiting further proceedings. Prosecutors said arraignment is the next step in Butts County Superior Court; a date has not yet been announced. If the case proceeds to trial, pretrial motions over self-defense claims and the admissibility of forensic evidence are expected to shape the schedule. Adams has said his office will continue to seek additional witness accounts and technical analysis. The sheriff’s office said it will cooperate with prosecutors despite the public disagreement over charging decisions. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has remained assigned to assist with evidence testing and case preparation.
Outside the courthouse this week, the bride stood by her husband. “I just have to have faith the truth will come out,” she said. Defense attorney Bret Dunn criticized the decision to seek a second indictment, arguing the evidence shows White reacted to immediate danger near family and friends. At the reception venue, relatives recalled scattering when shots began. One guest said the evening “went from music to mayhem in seconds,” describing overturned chairs and people diving behind vehicles as the altercation moved into the dark tree line.
As of Sunday, authorities say White remains under indictment and court scheduling is pending. Officials said the next public milestone will be the arraignment once a judge sets a date. No additional arrests have been announced.
Author note: Last updated February 1, 2026.