Father arrested for murder of son, beloved Covington fisher Troy Eaton

COVINGTON, Ga. - A Newton County father is behind bars after police say he shot and killed his son at a popular fishing spot in Covington on Friday night.

Wayne Eaton was arrested on charges of malice murder and the possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Covington police are still trying to figure out what motivated him to kill his son during a weekly fishing tournament.

According to the Covington Police Department, officers arrived just before 7 p.m. at the Eaton residence, located in the 8100 block of Lakeview Drive, after receiving a 911 call of a person being shot. Investigators say officers found Troy Eaton dead inside a building on the property.

Troy Eaton (Credit: Covington Police Department)

"We were advised that the suspect walked back into the residence on the property and officers made contact with him. After a short standoff, he came outside and surrendered to police," said Lt. Daniel Digby.

Wayne was arrested and booked into the Newton County Jail.

Wayne Eaton (Credit: Newton County Sheriff's Office)

Troy's daughter, Heather, told FOX 5 that it was hard for her to believe her father was really gone.

"I don't know how to process it. Like at times, I just feel numb, like it's not even real. But it is real," she said.

The family told FOX 5 that Troy loved to fish. The family held fishing tournaments at the property along Lakeside Drive every week.

"He had been doing that since before I was born, being able to hunt and fish whenever he wanted to," Heather recalled. "That was the main thing he did, he enjoyed doing [it] on the weekends."

Heather told FOX 5 her father was also about to get married the following month. She said she will always remember him for his willingness to help others.

"He would do anything for anybody. He wasn't a rich man, but if anyone needed anything from him, he would do what he could to help them out," she said.

Lt. Digby said there were plenty of witnesses at the location when the shooting took place.

Anyone with additional information about the incident is urged to give Covington police a call.

Lakeview Drive Tournament Lakes 

The news of Troy Eaton’s death quickly spread on social media with many posts echoing sentiments that he was a "great man." One post discussed how Troy was quick to help anyone who came out for one of the many tournaments held on the property.

The Lakeview Drive Lakes are stocked with carp, catfish, and other game fish for the tournaments. The latest tournament was scheduled for Friday evening from 7 p.m. until 3 a.m.  

No official notification has been posted to the Lakeview Drive Tournament Lakes Facebook page since Thursday evening. 

According to the Newton County Property Tax website, the property was owned, in part, by Wayne L. Eaton until 2020, when the ownership was transferred to Troy Eaton.