Community says final farewell to Jackson County deputy killed in line of duty

JACKSON COUNTY, Ga. — Funeral services took place Monday for a Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputy killed in the line of duty.

Deputy Lena Marshall, 49, died last week from her injuries after she was shot responding to a domestic violence call.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Marshall and a deputy she was training arrived at a home where a woman, Jessica Worsham, pulled out a gun and shot Marshall. The other deputy, who has only been with Jackson County for three weeks, returned fire and killed the suspect.

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The funeral was held at the Free Chapel Church in Braselton Monday afternoon. NewsChopper 2 flew over the funeral procession. Hundreds of people lined the streets to show their love an appreciation for Marshall. Many carried small flags that said “Rest in Peace, Deputy Marshall.”

There will be live feed of Deputy Lena Marshall’s funeral on the church’s website here.

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Channel 2′s Christian Jennings was at the chapel for the service, where there was a massive turnout of law enforcement officers.

Officers from across the state took part in the 16-mile procession from the sheriff’s office in Jefferson to Braselton.

Sheriff Janis Mangum says Marshall was a fantastic Jackson County deputy and a loving mother. She leaves behind three children. The family also shared with the sheriff the significance the day of death has for them.

“Lena lost a child 18 years ago, on the same day she passed,” Mangum said. “She has two daughters and she has a son and then she had Austin. I feel for her children. I just can’t imagine.”

Family members said that she died doing what she loved.

After the service, Marshall was honored with a gun salute followed by a helicopter flyover and a final radio call.

Marshall’s patrol unit is sitting outside the sheriff’s office in her honor.

Resident Debra Hoffman said she feels blessed she got to meet Marshall a few days before she died, when the officer was on duty at a local store.

“I just had the feeling to go and thank her for her service and tell her how beautiful it was,” Hoffman said. “It just came over me and I went and shared that with her and she smiled and thanked me.”

It was a brief encounter that Hoffman hopes made Marshall feel loved and appreciated.

The Deputy Lena Nicole Marshall Benefit Fund has been set up at the Northeast Georgia Bank, which is located at 1775 Old Pendergrass Road, in Jefferson, Georgia.

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