Staff Report
JACKSON COUNTY — WHNT reported that a man accused of murder in Jackson County now faces additional charges for making a contraband weapon. Dima Stevanovich Novikov, who was arrested on May 31, 2023, for the murder of Terry Dewayne Warren, was also indicted on a contraband weapon charge.
Originally, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded to an address on County Road 17 in the Skyline area on a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, deputies found 61-year-old Terry Dewayne Warren, just inside the residence, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Warren was pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Scottsboro Police Department responded to conduct this investigation.
During this investigation, a suspect, Dima Stevanovich Novikov, age 29, was identified, and an arrest warrant was obtained for the charge of murder. A nationwide BOLO was posted, and on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, Novikov was arrested in Chatsworth, Georgia, by deputies of the Murray County Sheriff’s Office.
This investigation involved countless person-hours of effort by law enforcement agencies in two states and spanned five days. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office thanked all the agencies who assisted, in any way, to the successful outcome of this investigation. These agencies include the following: Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division, Murray County Georgia Sheriff’s Office, Scottsboro Police Department, Skyline Police Department, Jackson County District Attorney’s Office, Skyline Fire Department, Highlands Ambulance Service, and the Jackson County Coroner’s Office.
It should also be noted that during this investigation, citizens of Jackson County called in numerous tips, which greatly assisted in this arrest.
Novikov was later expedited to the Jackson County Jail, where the contraband weapon was found on July 6, 2023. Court documents describe the weapon as a toothbrush filed down to a sharp point. The documents also allege that Novikov intended to use the weapon on corrections deputies and another inmate. The makeshift knife was found in the waistband of Novikov’s underwear.
Because of alleged security concerns, on July 7, following the prison contraband charge, Novikov was transported to the Madison County Jail. His arraignment hearing is set for October.
