Reward rises to $20,000 to find Silver Comet Trail attacker

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A week after the violent attack of a female jogger on the Silver Comet Trail, authorities in Paulding County are mapping out a plan to increase security.
 
Channel 2's Ross Cavitt went back out to the trail Thursday and found a small but steady group of walkers, joggers and bikers using the pathway on a blistering hot afternoon.
 
They were happy to see the deputies patrolling the trail, and comforted knowing security was about to take a big step up.
 
"That's great. It should have been put in a long time ago," one jogger told Cavitt.
 
"The Silver Comet Trail is one of the biggest assets we have in this county and we've basically gotten calls from people saying we're not going out on the trial because we're scared and we can't have that," said Cpl. Ashley Henson with the Paulding County Sheriff's Office.
 
County leaders know the before and after pictures Tina Waddell's family released are frightening, and the fact no one has been caught for the attack and beating along the trail raises anxiety levels.
 
That's why they made an emergency decision to divert hundreds of thousands of park funds to buy two more Smart Car patrol vehicles and expand camera monitoring of the trail from three locations to 21.
 
And as a measure of concern in the community, deputies told Cavitt the Sheriff's reward fund has ballooned to $20,000 and rising with donors eager to help track down the still at-large suspect.
 
"Hopefully what we're trying to do is get the reward fund to increase so we get someone who feels compelled to come forward and give us that piece of information," Henson said.

Anyone with information in the case is urged to call 770-443-3015.

WSBTV