Second suspect wanted for murder in Motel 6 shooting

Published 5:32 pm Friday, December 20, 2019

The LaGrange Police Department has named a second suspect for a murder that occurred at Motel 6 in LaGrange Wednesday night.

A warrant has been secured for the arrest of Joshua D. Osterman, 32, of Columbus, Georgia for the murder of 31-year-old Flansburg, of Smyrna, Tennessee, according to a LPD press release. Osterman is described as 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds.

Police are also still searching for Tony Galvan Reynoso, 27, of Columbus. Both are wanted on murder charges.

According to LaGrange Police Department Sgt. Robert Kirby, officers were called to the area of Motel 6 Wednesday night after multiple calls had been made about gunshots heard around the motel.

Kirby said when officers arrived, they located Flansburg lying on the sidewalk in front of a room with a gunshot wound to the neck.

Flansburg was transported to WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, where he was later pronounced deceased. LaGrange police were able to determine that there were at least two individuals involved in an altercation with Flansburg just prior to the shooting.

According to a press release from LPD, the suspects were observed leaving the area after the shooting in a red Chevy Cruze. Police were able to determine that the vehicle was registered to a Columbus, Georgia, resident and immediately traveled to Columbus where members of the Columbus Police Department assisted with locating the suspects’ vehicle. Detectives seized the vehicle involved for evidence processing and obtained sufficient evidence to obtain arrest warrants for Reynoso for the offense of murder.

Wednesday’s incident is the second murder in that part of Lafayette Parkway this week. On Sunday, a murder occurred right next door at Racetrac at close to the same time of night.

“The second was drug-related, and it just happened that the one guy had checked into Motel 6 several days ago and had agreed to meet with these folks and resulted in the shooting,” LPD Chief Lou Dekmar said at Tuesday’s LaGrange City Council meeting.

Anyone with information is asked to call the LaGrange Police Department at (706) 883-2603 or Troup County Crime Stoppers at (706)812-1000.