WOODBINE, GA — Two men were found guilty and sentenced to life without parole Wednesday in the 2023 torture and drowning murder of 29-year-old John Andrew Mamph in a remote area of St. Marys known locally as “Gilligan’s Island.”
A Camden County jury convicted Frank Patrick Kennedy, 56, and Anthony Scott Mistretta, 29, of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Kidnapping, and several other felony charges tied to Mamph’s July 5, 2023, killing. Prosecutors said the pair assaulted and hog-tied Mamph near his homeless encampment before transporting him by boat, weighing him down, and submerging him alive in a nearby lake.
Mamph’s body was discovered around noon the next day by a jet skier who saw the corpse beneath the surface and contacted authorities. St. Marys police, joined by the Camden County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, launched a joint investigation, making arrests within hours based on eyewitness accounts.
Deputy Chief ADA Hal Moroz led the prosecution, presenting 15 witnesses and numerous exhibits. “The culmination of an outstanding team effort,” Moroz said, crediting local law enforcement and investigators for their roles in securing the convictions.
Superior Court Judge Anthony Harrison issued the maximum sentence immediately after the verdict, ordering that both Kennedy and Mistretta spend the rest of their lives behind bars without the possibility of parole.
Several others involved in the case accepted plea deals prior to trial. Debra Leane Dougherty, 38, pleaded guilty to Felony Murder and received a life sentence with parole eligibility after 30 years.
Bernice Rose McGuire, 27, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault and awaits sentencing. Megan Leigh Robison, 34, was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to Making a False Statement regarding the events of July 5.
