Cobb K9 finds murder victim remains, suspect sentenced to life

MDJ Script/ Top Stories for July 2nd 

Publish Date:  July 2nd 

   

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From the BG Ad Group Studio, Welcome to the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast.  

  

Today is Wednesday, July 2nd and Happy Birthday to  

 

I’m Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Cobb is talking about, presented by Times Journal 

1. Cobb K9 finds murder victim remains, suspect sentenced to life
2. Acworth student named a Stephen D. Lee Scholar at Mississippi State University
3. ‘The Bluebird Guy’ Leads 13-Year Conservation Effort in West Cobb

 

All of this and more is coming up on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!  

 

BREAK: INGLES 9 

STORY 1:   Cobb K9 finds murder victim remains, suspect sentenced to life 

A Cobb County investigator, Dr. Tracy Sargent, and her K-9 partner, Taz, played a key role in solving the murder of Carrie Hardin, a Fayetteville woman. Taz, a cadaver dog rescued and trained by Sargent, discovered Carrie’s burned body in a shallow grave near her home. Carrie’s husband, Kenneth Hardin Jr., confessed to the murder after a domestic dispute and was arrested in Louisiana following a multi-state manhunt. He pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including felony murder, and was sentenced to life without parole. Sargent and Taz have a history of assisting law enforcement nationwide in missing persons and homicide cases. 

 

STORY 2: Acworth student named a Stephen D. Lee Scholar at Mississippi State University 

Katherine Ullmer of Acworth was honored as a Stephen D. Lee Scholar during Mississippi State University's spring 2025 commencement. Among over 3,500 graduates, she was one of 140 students to achieve this distinction, awarded to those with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Ullmer earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Marketing from MSU's College of Business. 

 

STORY 3: ‘The Bluebird Guy’ Leads 13-Year Conservation Effort in West Cobb 

Jim Bearden, a 79-year-old retired event planner from Alabama, is affectionately known as “the Bluebird Guy” for his 13-year conservation efforts to repopulate bluebirds in the southeast. Starting with one nesting box at Green Meadows Preserve in Cobb County, Bearden has expanded the Bluebird Trail to over 30 boxes, helping over 3,000 bluebirds thrive. His work combats the species' decline caused by DDT in the 1960s and ’70s. Bearden funds much of the effort himself, including $200 monthly for mealworms, but annual fundraisers like the Marietta Wine Market event help offset costs. The trail’s success has inspired community involvement, with Bearden sharing tips like planting native plants and avoiding pesticides. His work is also shared with Cornell’s NestWatch program, ensuring a lasting impact. 

 

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We’ll be right back. 

 

Break: INGLES 9 

 

STORY 4: