Centerville man pleads guilty to murder, sentenced to life in prison
The charge stems from a shooting that occurred on October 9, 2024, at a Marathon gas station on Wilson Drive in Centerville.
CENTERVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Centerville man pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison, according to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office.
39-year-old Dru Adam Eggebrecht pleaded guilty to murder on April 30, 2026. He was sentenced immediately following the plea.
The charge stems from a shooting that occurred on October 9, 2024, at a Marathon gas station on Wilson Drive in Centerville.
Centerville Police Department officers responded to the scene and found the victim, Amy Avritt, in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. While officers were performing life-saving measures, authorities said Eggebrecht approached them with his hands raised and admitted to shooting the victim. He was taken into custody, and the weapon was recovered nearby on a sidewalk.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation led the investigation, with assistance from the Centerville Police Department. Investigators determined Eggebrecht and Avritt had an on-and-off relationship dating back to high school and shared a child.
Eggebrecht told investigators he had been staying with Avritt to help care for their child during fall break. On the morning of the shooting, the two went to the gas station, where Eggebrecht demanded to see Avritt’s phone. When she refused, authorities said Eggebrecht shot her once as she attempted to leave the vehicle, then shot her five more times after getting out of the car. He then took the phone. Avritt died at the scene.
Officials said Eggebrecht told investigators he had been using methamphetamine in the days leading up to the shooting and believed someone had been hacking the victim’s phone. Authorities also said he made statements at the scene acknowledging his actions were wrong.
Eggebrecht initially planned to pursue an insanity defense based on a history of mental illness, but withdrew that defense ahead of a trial that had been scheduled to begin May 11. Prosecutors said they were prepared to argue that Eggebrecht understood right from wrong and that any delusion was the result of voluntary intoxication.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Justin Duane released the following statement:
“This case is a tragedy on multiple levels. First, yet again we are dealing with another domestic violence homicide and a young lady and mother lost her life. Second, in cases like this it’s always the children who get punished the most. Another young child has to grow up knowing his father killed his mother. I pray for the child and that one day he can find peace with this.”
District Attorney Eric Edwards released the following statement:
“This case is a heartbreaking example of how domestic violence can escalate to the most extreme and irreversible outcome. A mother lost her life in a public place, and a child will grow up without either parent because of the defendant’s actions. That is the lasting reality of what occurred here. The defendant’s decision to withdraw his insanity defense and plead guilty spares the victim’s family from reliving these events at trial, but it does not lessen the gravity of what was done. The facts of this case demonstrate a deliberate and sustained use of deadly force that cannot be excused. I am grateful for the work of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Centerville Police Department, and the prosecution of this case by Senior Assistant District Attorney Justin Duane. The life sentence imposed reflects the seriousness of this crime and our commitment to holding those who commit acts of domestic violence resulting in death fully accountable.”
