Bio 

James Allyson Lee was born in September 1974. By 1994, Lee was 19 years old and living in Georgia. His relationship with his father was an important part of the case. Lee later told police that he wanted to kill his father and steal his father’s Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. Lee claimed he was angry because of past abuse and abandonment by his father. These claims later came up during his appeals, but they did not change his conviction or death sentence.

Before the murder, Lee was with his girlfriend, Shannon Yeoman. On May 25, 1994, Lee and another person broke into a gun store and stole several guns, including a 10mm Glock pistol. After the burglary, Lee and Yeoman went to Pierce County, Georgia. Their plan was to lure Lee’s father out, kill him, and take his truck.

When Lee found out his father was not home, he changed his target. Sharon Varnadore Chancey, his father’s live-in girlfriend, was at the house instead. Chancey did not appear to have any serious personal conflict with Lee. She was targeted because Lee wanted the truck and because his father was not there.

The courts later treated the murder as a robbery-related killing because Lee killed Chancey and took the Chevrolet Silverado. Lee later became a long-term Georgia death-row prisoner, and his appeals were denied.

Murder Story

On May 25, 1994, James Allyson Lee and another person broke into a gun store and stole several firearms. One of the stolen guns was a 10mm Glock pistol. After the burglary, Lee and his girlfriend, Shannon Yeoman, planned to go to Pierce County, Georgia. Lee wanted to kill his father and steal his father’s Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.

When Lee learned that his father was not home, he changed his target. Sharon Varnadore Chancey, his father’s live-in girlfriend, was at the house instead. Yeoman helped lure Chancey out by saying her Toyota had broken down nearby. Chancey eventually drove the Silverado to the area where Lee was waiting.

In the early morning of May 26, 1994, Chancey got out of the truck and walked toward the Toyota. Lee then shot her in the face with the stolen Glock pistol and put her into the back of the pickup truck. Lee drove the truck to a secluded area in Charlton County, Georgia. He dragged Chancey into the woods and tried to take two rings from her. Court records said Chancey was still alive and grabbed his arm. Lee then shot her two more times and killed her.

After the murder, Lee and Yeoman switched the license plates between the Silverado and the Toyota. They drove to Florida in the stolen truck. Later that night, police stopped Lee because the truck had a broken taillight. A check showed the Silverado was stolen, and Lee was arrested. Police found the stolen Glock pistol, Chancey’s purse, and her identification inside the truck.

Lee later gave several incriminating statements to police. He also gave a videotaped confession at the crime scenes in Georgia. The Georgia Supreme Court later ruled that his statements could be used in court. Lee was indicted on September 2, 1994. The charges included murder, armed robbery, kidnapping with bodily injury, theft, and firearm-related charges. Prosecutors filed notice that they would seek the death penalty.

While waiting for trial, Lee escaped from jail on July 25, 1995. He stole a Lincoln Town Car and drove to Florida. The next morning, police tried to stop him in Boynton Beach. Lee ran but was caught. He told the officer he was wanted for murder in Georgia. Lee’s trial was held from May 28 to June 6, 1997. The jury found him guilty of malice murder, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during a felony.

The jury recommended a death sentence. The court found that the murder happened during robbery and kidnapping, that it was done for property, and that Chancey suffered an aggravated injury before death. Lee was sentenced to death for murder. He also received a life sentence for armed robbery and five more years for the firearm charge.

The Georgia Supreme Court upheld his conviction and death sentence on March 1, 1999. His later appeals were also denied. As of the 2026 Georgia death-row roster, James Allyson Lee remains on Georgia’s death row.