Time line of Steven Bunch

Published 1:17 pm Wednesday, November 29, 2006

• 1994 — Steven Bunch is arrested in Whitfield County for felony theft by taking.

• 1994-2005 — Bunch is convicted of numerous misdemeanors, including 10 reckless driving convictions and several driving on a suspended license convictions. He is arrested in Walker County for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

• May 2005 — Bunch is arrested in Whitfield County for DUI, endangering a child while DUI, driving with an unlawful alcohol blood level, driving while license suspended, improper tag, speeding, no proof of insurance and failure to secure a seat belt on a minor. He bonds out of jail.

• August 2005 — Bunch is arrested in Murray County for possession of a sawed-off shotgun and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He bonds out of jail.

• Nov. 11, 2005 — Bunch is scheduled to plead guilty in Whitfield County to the May 2005 charges. He does not appear. A bench warrant is issued for his arrest.

• Jan. 21, 2006 — Bunch is arrested by the Eton Police Department for driving on a suspended license, obstruction of a law enforcement officer and fleeing from a law enforcement officer. He bonds out of the Murray County jail without being sent to Whitfield County for the outstanding bench warrant.

• March 1, 2006 — Bunch appears in Murray County Superior Court for arraignment. He is granted a one-week continuance. He is not arrested for the outstanding bench warrant.

• March 2, 2006 — Bunch appears in Eton city court. He is granted a continuance to have time to hire a lawyer. His court date is rescheduled for April 6, 2006. Officials there believe the bench warrant has already been taken care of.

• March 8, 2006, 9 a.m. — Bunch enters a not guilty plea to the firearm charges in Murray County. He is not arrested for the bench warrant and again walks out of court.

• March 8, 2006, 6 p.m. — A sport utility vehicle driven by Bunch hits a truck driven by Dalton Fire Department Lt. Ronnie Dyer head on in Whitfield County. Dyer is killed. Bunch is charged several days later with vehicular homicide and other related charges and is jailed without bond.

• Oct. 20, 2006 — Bunch pleads guilty in Whitfield County to first degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving, as well as the previous DUI, endangering a child by DUI and driving with a suspended license charges. He is sentenced to 15 years in prison on the vehicular homicide charge and 24 months in prison, to run concurrently, on the suspended license and the two DUI charges.



Sources: Court records, interviews with law enforcement officials and prosecutors, and prior news accounts.