Residents are strongly encouraged to express their concerns and condolences for the brave men and women of the Columbus Police Department by emailing Mayor Skip Henderson directly at SkipHenderson@columbusga.org, while cc’ing their respective city council members on the email.

COLUMBUS, Ga. — “The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do. You can give them classes and lecture them forever, but it is your personal example they will follow.” — Gen. Colin Powell.

In a disgraceful display of leadership failure, our city’s head of public safety — Mayor Skip Henderson — chose not to stand alongside other city officials and members of the Columbus Police Department as they received the body of a fallen officer.

The body of Officer John Marr of the Columbus Police Department was returned to Columbus yesterday in a reception attended by many high-profile city officials, though Mayor Skip Henderson — the head of our city’s public safety department — was nowhere to be seen. 

Officer John Marr, a seven-year veteran of the department’s patrol unit, served our city honorably and with distinction. Marr was found unresponsive on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 and was later pronounced deceased. Marr’s body was then sent to the state medical examiner’s office.

Yesterday, on March 10, Marr’s body was escorted from Atlanta back to Columbus by members of CPD’s motor squad and officers of the Georgia State Patrol. 

The reception of Marr’s remains was a somber and emotional event filled with respect, sadness, and perseverance. Officers of the department stood alongside city officials at McMullan Funeral Home as Marr’s flag-draped casket was carefully placed under guard and brought inside. 

Attendees included the family of Officer John Marr,  police chief Freddie Blackmon, assistant chiefs Joyce Dentz Fitzpatrick and Debra Kennedy, and coroner Buddy Bryan. 

However, the head of our city’s public safety department, Mayor Skip Henderson, was notably not in attendance. His absence has been noted by many throughout our community.

The Columbus Police Department released a statement along with a heart-felt video of the reception in a social media post yesterday evening. The post reads:

“Our fallen brother returned home to Columbus today. Ofc. John Marr’s fellow officers lined up as CPD's Motor Squad, Officers from his shift, and GA State Patrol escorted his body from the state medical examiner's office to McMullan Funeral Home. The 7-year CPD veteran leaves behind his parents, siblings, extended family members, loved ones, and a sea of brothers and sisters in blue. Ofc. Marr is and will always be a hero. Until we meet again.”

We at the Muckraker have been so moved by events surrounding the death of Officer John Marr that we published a poem to commemorate the continued displays of relentless heroism by officers of the Columbus Police Department each and every day.

Residents are strongly encouraged to express their concerns and condolences for the brave men and women of the Columbus Police Department by emailing Mayor Skip Henderson directly at SkipHenderson@columbusga.org, while cc’ing their respective city council members on the email.

You can view the Columbus Police Department’s facebook post here.

Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.

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