Eller pleads guilty, resigns
By JOAN CROTHERS Towns Sentinel Editor

Towns County Sheriff Rudy Eller prepares to make a statement after leaving the courtroom.

"Do you fully understand the charges brought against you?" Judge Lynn Alderman asked Towns County Sheriff Rudy Eller as he stood in the courtroom Tuesday afternoon, August 21, 2007. Receiving a "yes" she asked, "Are you entering a plea of Guilty because you are guilty of them?" Again she received a "yes."

The Judge then asked Eller to tell her what happened and he told much the same story he had told the GBI at their investigation. He was trying to help his friend and Chief Deputy Eddie Osborn when Osborn asked him to clean and hide the barrel of his gun he had allegedly used to shoot up Garry Dean's house. Eller said he lied to investigators about the whole incident.

Eller has been charged with making false statements, tampering with evidence, hindering and obstructing law enforcement officers and violating his oath as a public officer. He has had a GPS monitoring system since his arrest and asked that it be removed, which the judge granted. But the Judge did not set a sentencing date.

Coming out of the courtroom and standing outside in front of cameras, Eller read a statement to TV Channels 2 and 32, and all the others who had been in the courtroom. He said that he thanked everyone for coming, and he was sorry it was a "sad and shameful day." He said he confessed that he had failed Towns County citizens and asked them to forgive him.

"Jess Gibson was a dear friend and I'm sorry I couldn't attend his funeral. I want to say to Martha [Gibson's wife] my thoughts and prayers are with you.

"No one is above the law. I will resign as Sheriff. People of Towns County I'm sorry I let you down!"

His statement finished, Eller shook hands with a number of citizens present and then left.