Treadaway sworn in as Cherokee's acting DA

Susan Treadaway has taken an administrative oath as Cherokee County’s acting district attorney, after former District Attorney Shannon Wallace was sworn in as a Superior Court judge.

Chief Superior Court Judge Ellen McElyea swore in Susan Treadaway as acting district attorney of the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit serving Cherokee County Jan. 31, the district attorney’s office announced. Katie Gropper was sworn in as chief assistant district attorney.

Treadaway was previously the chief assistant district attorney.

The change comes after Gov. Brian Kemp swore in Wallace in Atlanta Jan. 30. Kemp appointed Wallace to the newly created fourth judicial seat on the Superior Court.

Treadaway will hold the position of acting district attorney pending Gov. Brian Kemp’s appointment of Wallace’s successor.

For nearly 20 years, Treadaway has served Georgians as a felony prosecutor. She began her career as an assistant district attorney for Cherokee County in 2004. She then worked as a prosecutor for 11 years in Cobb County, serving as the chief assistant district attorney of the Cobb Judicial Circuit before her return to Cherokee County in 2019, where she held the same title.

“I am honored to step into this role,” Acting District Attorney Treadaway said in a statement. “I am confident that I have the knowledge and experience to ensure a seamless transition so that our community continues to benefit from the important services this office provides.”

Gropper, the new chief assistant district attorney, has been a prosecutor for over 15 years. According to the district attorney’s office, Gropper was instrumental in the creation of Cherokee County’s Special Victims Unit, of which she was deputy chief assistant district attorney. Before she came to Cherokee County, she was a prosecutor for 11 years in the Brunswick Circuit and two years in Cobb County. She has dedicated her career to the prosecution of crimes against women, children, and other vulnerable populations.

Four other staff members received new assignments.

Damion Overstreet will serve as Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney for the new courtroom. A career prosecutor with extensive experience in racketeering and gang prosecution, Overstreet has conducted trainings for organizations including the Bar Association, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Gang Investigators Association, Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, and Woodstock Police Department. Before coming to Cherokee County in 2019, Overstreet served as senior assistant district attorney for Rockdale County, where he prosecuted felony cases for seven years.

Rachel Hines will move into Gropper’s previous position of deputy chief assistant district attorney for the Special Victims’ Unit. After working for five years as a Cobb County prosecutor, Hines was recruited to Cherokee County in 2020 as one of the founding members of the newly-formed Special Victims Unit, where she handles cases involving serious crimes of physical and sexual abuse of children and other vulnerable individuals. Hines routinely collaborates with law enforcement, social service agencies and child advocates to improve Cherokee County’s response to child abuse.

Kimball Murdock was promoted to senior investigator. Before joining the District Attorney’s Office in 2022, Murdock served 26 years at the Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, where he handled investigations involving narcotics, homicide, missing persons, criminal intelligence, and gang crimes. Murdock is an executive board member with the Georgia Gang Investigators Association and recipient of numerous honors, including a U.S. Attorney’s Award last year.

Dan Worrell, who has been with the District Attorney’s Office since 2020, was promoted to senior investigator. Worrell has been in law enforcement since 2006, working for two years at a state agency before joining the Atlanta Police Department in 2008. During his career, Worrell has received specialized training in criminal gangs, digital evidence, and cellular technology. Last year, Worrell was honored as Investigator of the Year for the District Attorney’s Office.