'All of us are survivors' Dalton woman talks to man arrested for shooting her mother
Burlison Thomas Burlison Baron Burlison Ann Kendall Bert Poston Jay Burlison Conasauga Judicial Circuit District Attorney District Attorney Ernest Griffin Jay Thomas Burlison Mary Ron Lee Harris Store Clerk
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UPDATE: A trial date is set to start September 24 for Jay Burlison, says Conasauga Judicial Circuit District Attorney Bert Poston. He will be arraigned in August.                WTVC    PREVIOUS:Thursday a Dalton woman came face to face with the man accus
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UPDATE: A trial date is set to start September 24 for Jay Burlison, says Conasauga Judicial Circuit District Attorney Bert Poston. He will be arraigned in August.

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Thursday a Dalton woman came face to face with the man accused of shooting her mother, and killing her mother's boyfriend, more than 30 years ago.

"He told me he did what he felt like he had to do," Ann Kendall said.

, after 34 years of being on the run.

Kendall contacted us wanting to share her story in hopes of helping others going through abuse.

"Family violence is real. It's real in all aspects."

Kendall says she was with her former stepdad the night of the shooting.

"He told me he was going to kill my mom and anybody else that was around," Kendall said. "I begged him not to."

In the original incident report from November 1984 investigators say Jay Thomas Burlison, now 75, shot and killed Ernest Griffin. It happened at the former Golden Gallon in Rocky Face.

Burlison's soon to be ex wife Mary (Kendall's mother) was shot several times. She survived. Store clerk Ron Lee Harris was injured.

Kendall was there when Burlison started firing. She ran to get help.

"I just went running in there screaming that my stepdad had just shot my mom."

Burlison was never arrested or even heard from until this year, when his information was used to file for social security benefits, says Bert Poston, the District Attorney working on the case.

"I can't really tell you where he's been the last 34 years," Poston said.

Kendall's family has faced a lot of fear since that night.

"Through these years I always have told my husband if I disappear and you can't find me, I didn't run, look for him."

Kendall says she feels she has some sense of closure after Burlison's arrest.

"I told him the person he thought he would break at 17 is 51, and I have a great life and a great husband and he has done nothing but made me stronger," Kendall said. "All of us are survivors, we have all done very well for ourselves considering the circumstances."

She says she recently told investigators more about her interactions with Burlison before the shooting.

As of now the only charges filed against him are the ones related to the shootings, including murder and aggravated assault.

Burlison has a bond hearing set for Friday morning.