By Walter Geiger Larry Stanford has been charged with the murders of his then-wife Peggy Stanford and Phillip Leaks at a home on Boyd’s Row in Griffin on June 4, 1994 following a cold case investigation spearheaded by the Griffin Police Department, GBI and the Griffin Circuit District Attorney’s Office. Lt. Darrell Dix of GPD reported Mrs. Stanford, 28, and Leaks, 36, were brutally stabbed to death at the home which has since been torn down. Boyd’s Row is now called D.F. Fuller Drive. Larry Stanford was arrested at the time but investigators later decided not to pursue the case because they did not have enough evidence to go to trial. Recently an acquaintance of Larry Stanford spoke to him and went to police with new information. GPD investigator Mike Morris and GBI agent Robert Devane, who grew up in Barnesville, worked the case. They tracked down witnesses as far away as Alabama and corroborated the new information. Larry Stanford was arrested Feb. 3 at his residence at 530 East Tinsley St. in Griffin. Asked about motive, assistant district attorney Randy Coggin noted Mrs. Stanford was ‘with another man (Leaks)’ and there was some money involved. Peggy Stanford’s sister, Angela Fletcher, and Leaks’ brother-in-law, Donnie Parsons, told the media they were glad the case was finally solved. None of the family members present were surprised Larry Stanford was charged. “He (Stanford) never had anything to do with us,” Parsons said. District attorney Scott Ballard said he hopes the families can heal permanently now. “We have ripped the scabs off of some old wounds but hopefully they can heal permanently this time,” Ballard said. He added that it was too early to determine if the death penalty would be sought against Larry Stanford. Lt. Dix said Larry Stanford, who is charged with two counts of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault and burglary, is not thought to be a suspect in any other unsolved crimes.
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