Ex-cop charged with murder in Athens denied bond

A former Madison County sheriff’s deputy charged with murdering a University of Georgia graduate student was denied bond Thursday in Clarke County Superior Court.

Winford “Trey” Adams’ face was red and tears appeared in his eyes as he was led from the courtroom after the hearing.

Adams is charged with the Nov. 10, 2019, slaying of Benjamin Lloyd Cloer, a 26-year-old student studying artificial intelligence. Cloer was shot at his home on Jefferson Road, where he was being visited that evening by Adams’ wife, Charlotte Adams.

Superior Court Judge Lisa Lott denied bond, saying that while defense attorneys Jimmy Webb of Elberton and Mayes Davidson of Royston showed the defendant has significant ties to the community, the state also showed Adams posed a potential threat to people in the community.

Deputy Chief District Attorney James Chafin had opposed bond, noting especially that Adams’ wife is fearful he will kill her.

Adams, 32, was living in Commerce where he owned property at the time of the slaying, but he also owned a home in Comer and had inherited a significant amount of money, according to Webb.

Webb said if bond was granted, Adams would live in Royston with his mother and would surrender his passport to the district attorney’s office.

Adams had worked at the Statesboro Police Department before joining the force in Madison County, where he was a patrol officer.

Webb argued that Adams has been “a model prisoner” and was a “great candidate” for bond.

But Chafin noted that Adams was a law enforcement officer who came to Athens with three firearms and shot the victim in the back as he was fleeing. Adams also pointed the gun at his wife and placed her in danger, and when police arrived on the scene, he threatened to kill himself with a shotgun, according to Chafin.

Police Detective Paul Johnson testified that Adams, after shooting Cloer, called Madison County 911, the Athens 911 and relatives.

Johnson said Adams was able to find his wife at Cloer’s home because they had a tracking app on their individual phones, which they mutually agreed to have.

Adams used the app to go to the house to see if his wife was with friends or alone with Cloer, and he observed through a window they were sitting together, according to Johnson.

During a standoff when police arrived, Johnson testified this situation did impede medical personnel from getting to the victim, who was at his neighbor’s home suffering from what would be fatal wounds.

The neighbors were not home and Cloer was found lying unconscious by the front door.

Adams surrendered his weapon to Madison County Sheriff’s Lt. Jason Ring.