Groom charged with murder after shooting dead his new wife’s stepfather at their Georgia wedding

The wedding in Georgia took a deadly turn when a drunk wedding guest refused to leave

A groom who allegedly shot dead his wife’s stepfather at his wedding reception in Georgia has been indicted for felony murder.

Aaron White was arrested over the killing of Jason Maughon, 44, at the celebration in Butts County, Georgia on July 14, 2024.

The violence erupted after Jason Maughon allegedly punched White in the face. White’s wife, Kailagh, who is also Maughon’s stepdaughter, had reportedly asked an unruly guest to leave the reception. The guest then reportedly got angry at the bride. When her new husband intervened, Maughon allegedly joined the fray and hit the groom in the face.

Maughon and the unnamed guest allegedly left the reception and returned later with guns. According to Butts County Sheriff Gary Long, Maughon fired first at White, hitting him in the hand. White then reportedly ran to his vehicle, with Maughon in pursuit, and retrieved his firearm. He allegedly shot Maughon seven times.

Police arrived at the scene of the shooting around 1 a.m. and found Maughon dead at the scene, according to WSB-TV.

Aaron White, 33, has been indicted on a felony murder charge after he allegedly shot and killed his wife’s stepfather (Facebook)

In addition to Butts County sheriff’s deputies, Towaliga Judicial Circuit Court District Attorney Jonathan Adams also asked for assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. A grand jury in the Towaliga Judicial Circuit Court convened in 2025 and determined that White had acted in self-defense.

Adams took the case to a second grand jury in January after he received ballistics evidence that was still being analyzed when the initial grand jury was convened. The second grand jury brought a murder indictment against White earlier this month.

The new evidence convinced him that White had the right to defend himself, but not to use deadly force, the DA told WSB-TV.

Kailagh White also told WSB-TV that she is hopeful that “the truth will come out.”

Her husband also claimed that Maughon was threatening to kill him. “The last time I seen him, he was threatening to cut me, so it’s a fear for my life,” White said, adding that he doesn’t think anyone should have to “second guess defending themselves.”

Kailagh White and her husband, Aaron White. He has been indicted on a felony murder charge over the death of his wife’s stepfather on the night of their wedding on July 14, 2024 (Facebook)

White described his actions as defending himself and “everyone else” at the gathering.

Sheriff Long said he disagreed with the DA’s decision to prosecute White for murder, calling the incident the “clearest case of self- defense that I have personally seen in 30 years of law enforcement.”

"I have an innocent man sitting in my jail," he told WSB-TV.

The sheriff also told the outlet he doesn't typically oppose the district attorney publicly, but said in this case “if I sit and say nothing, what good am I doing as sheriff?”

White’s defense team also balked at Adams’ decision to seek out a second grand jury. Attorney Bret Dunn accused the DA of trying to use White to help boost his career prospects.

Jason Maughon, 44, was killed at his stepdaughter’s wedding in 2024 after a brawl broke out (Towaliga District Attorny's Office)

"Jonathan Adams is making a politically motivated decision based on him wanting to be a judge," Dunn told WSB-TV. Adams is campaigning to become Superior Court Judge for the Towaliga Judicial Circuit.

Adams responded by noting that Dunn was running for a state senate seat in Georgia. “I think the only one who has political gain in this is a defense attorney who’s running for state senate, and Bret Dunn is that person," he said.

A judge set a $100,000 bond for White Wednesday. He has posted bond and his next court date is yet to be scheduled.