What We Know
Amber Fields: What We Know
Video · 2:53 · Watch on YouTube
What happened in the Amber Fields case, and what was the sentence? Amber Nichole Fields, 34, a registered nurse in Swainsboro, Georgia, was found dead in her home in early December 2025. Charles Justin Davis, who had been released on parole on May 6, 2025, was arrested on Dec. 8, 2025. He has been convicted in Emanuel County, and his Georgia prison record now lists a maximum release date of "LIFE, W/O PAROLE."
What's confirmed
- Amber Nichole Fields, 34, lived in Swainsboro, Emanuel County, Georgia. (GBI; Southeast Georgia Today; Valdosta Today; CrimeOnline)
- She was a registered nurse; her family's obituary says she received many nominations for the DAISY Award and calls her "a devoted and caring nurse to every patient she met." (Fields family obituary, Chapman Funeral Home of Swainsboro; WRDW)
- Early December 2025she didn't report for work. A family member found her dead inside her home. (GBI; Valdosta Today; CrimeOnline)
- At the Swainsboro Police Department's request, the GBI investigated the death as a homicide. (GBI; WTOC; Valdosta Today)
- Mon., Dec. 8, 2025the GBI arrested Charles Justin Davis, 40, of Swainsboro, and charged him with malice murder. (GBI; Southeast Georgia Today; Valdosta Today; CrimeOnline)
- Davis had been serving a sentence with aggravated assault as the primary charge; he was released on parole on May 6, 2025, about seven months earlier. (Georgia Department of Corrections record; Southeast Georgia Today; CrimeOnline; WRDW)
- He has been convicted in Emanuel County of malice murder, felony murder, rape, aggravated sodomy and aggravated assault. (Georgia Department of Corrections record, retrieved Nov. 7, 2026; WRDW/WTOC, Nov. 5, 2026)
- His sentence: life without parole, and 20 years for aggravated assault. The sentence was reported on Nov. 5, 2026; as of Nov. 7, 2026, the state's record lists him as currently serving, in state prison. (Georgia Department of Corrections record; WRDW/WTOC)
What we don't know / what's disputed
- What the State Board of Pardons and Paroles weighed when it released him in May 2025. We have not confirmed a board statement from two sources.
- Whether he will appeal. No appeal has been reported. In Georgia, murder appeals are heard by the Supreme Court of Georgia.
- Reports differ on the exact date she was found (Dec. 7 or Dec. 8, 2025). We say "early December."
What happens next
- If an appeal is filed, it goes to the Supreme Court of Georgia. We'll update this video if one is.
Chapters
- 0:00Amber Fields case: what we know
- 0:17Amber Fields: Swainsboro, December 2025
- 1:14Charles Justin Davis' parole, May 2025
- 1:34Charles Justin Davis' Georgia prison record
- 2:14Amber Fields case: where it stands
Sources
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation, release (Dec. 8, 2025) Primary recordgbi.georgia.gov/press-releases/2025-12-08/gbi-investigates-death-swainsboro-ga
- Georgia Department of Corrections offender record, GDC ID 0001160334 (retrieved Nov. 7, 2026) Primary recordservices.gdc.ga.gov/GDC/OffenderQuery/jsp/OffQryForm.jsp
- WRDW (William Rioux), Nov. 5, 2026 Reportingwrdw.com/2026/11/05/suspect-sentenced-decades-emanuel-county-murder/
- WRDW, Dec. 2025 Reportingwrdw.com/2025/12/09/swainsboro-murder-suspect-was-paroled-convict-records-show/
- Southeast Georgia Today (Kathy Hilt), Dec. 9, 2025 Reportingsoutheastgeorgiatoday.com/index.php?Itemid=101&catid=1023%3Anewsbreak&id=100718%3Aman-arrested-in-swainsboro-homicide-has-department-of-corrections-history&option=com_content&view=article
- Valdosta Today, Dec. 8, 2025 Secondaryvaldostatoday.com/?p=151545
- CrimeOnline, Dec. 10, 2025 Secondarycrimeonline.com/2025/12/10/georgia-parolee-charged-with-womans-murder
- WTOC (Summer Swanson), Dec. 8, 2025 Reportingwtoc.com/2025/12/08/swainsboro-woman-killed-years-after-surviving-brutal-beating-gbi-investigating/
- Fields family obituary, Chapman Funeral Home of Swainsboro (Dec. 10, 2025) Primary recordchapmanfhofswainsboro.com/obituaries/amber-fields
- Supreme Court of Georgia, Henderson v. State (2018), on murder-appeal jurisdiction Reportinglaw.justia.com/cases/georgia/supreme-court/2018/s17a1785.html
The record · as of Nov. 8, 2026
How we know
Primary records are court and agency documents; reporting is news coverage we checked against them. How we report.
What happens next
Verified timeline
- 2016-11-15Prior case: Davis's earlier Emanuel County offenses (crime date Nov. 15, 2016), led by aggravated assault; convicted Nov. 2016. Other counts involve minors: never referenced or shown.GDC offender record (crime date 11/15/2016, agg. assault 20 yrs); SE Georgia Today (Hilt, Dec. 9, 2025: convicted Nov. 2016, agg. assault primary)
- 2022-07-05Davis's GDC custody on the 2016 sentence began July 5, 2022.GDC offender record (incarceration begin 07/05/2022); SE Georgia Today ('beginning July 2022'). CONFLICT: CrimeOnline says he 'served six years' (likely counts pre-GDC jail time; unverified).
- 2025-05-06Davis was released from state prison on parole on May 6, 2025.GDC offender record (incarceration end 05/06/2025); SE Georgia Today ('released on parole on May 6, 2025'); CrimeOnline + WRDW ('released in May')
- 2025-12-08At the Swainsboro Police Department's request, the GBI took the case; investigated as a homicide.GBI release (Dec. 8, 2025); WTOC (Swanson, Dec. 8); Valdosta Today (GBI reprint)
- 2025-12-08Charles Justin Davis, 40, of Swainsboro, was arrested Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, and charged with one felony count of malice murder (GBI); booked into the Emanuel County Detention Center (SE Georgia Today only).GBI release update; WTOC (Swanson); SE Georgia Today (Hilt); CrimeOnline (Wildmoon, Dec. 10)
- 2025-12-10Amber Fields was a registered nurse at Jenkins County Medical Center and received many DAISY award nominations.Chapman Funeral Home family obituary (Dec. 10, 2025); WRDW/WTOC (Mar. 19 + Nov. 5, 2026: RN, 13 DAISY nominations)
- 2026-10-20Davis convicted in Emanuel County of malice murder, felony murder, rape, aggravated sodomy and aggravated assault; sentenced to life without parole, plus 20 years for aggravated assault. The Oct. 20 sentencing-order date, the non-jury (bench) verdict and the per-count structure (felony murder merged; agg. assault consecutive; rape/sodomy LWOP concurrent) are WRDW-only.GDC offender record (5 rows, crime date 12/06/2025; MAX RELEASE LIFE, W/O PAROLE; agg. assault 20 yrs); WRDW/WTOC (Rioux, Nov. 5, 2026)
- 2026-11-07GA DOC record status: active, currently serving, Coastal State Prison; max possible release date LIFE, W/O PAROLE. No appeal reported in any source checked (GBI, Gray, SEGT, CrimeOnline).GDC offender record (retrieved Nov. 7, 2026); WRDW (Nov. 5: sentenced to prison)
Also in our research file
- GDC offender photo, GDC ID 0001160334 Primary recordGeorgia Department of Corrections · Nov. 7, 2026
- GBI Investigating Death in Swainsboro (with Dec. 8 arrest update) Primary recordGeorgia Bureau of Investigation · Dec. 8, 2025
- Emanuel County Clerk of Superior Court: 125 South Main Street, Swainsboro Primary recordGSCCCA
- Emanuel County Superior Court directory (125 S. Main St.) Primary recordEmanuel County
- 12 On Your Side Investigates: Murder case exposes accused killer's criminal past ReportingWRDW · March 19, 2026
- GBI investigates the death of Amber Nichole Fields ReportingMetter Advertiser
- Emanuel County Courthouse photo (CC BY 3.0) SecondaryWikimedia Commons / Jud McCranie
Updates and corrections
- Courthouse photo: Jud McCranie / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Map: U.S. Census TIGER (public domain).
Amber Fields's photo was released by her family with her obituary; we will remove it on request.
If you or someone you know is affected by sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline is 800-656-4673.
Spot an error? Email corrections@undercurrentdaily.com. See our corrections policy. Have information about this case? Contact the investigating agency first.
