Andrae Wright started the new year in his third year at the Ogeechee Circuit District Attorney’s Office, but after less than a month working for newly sworn DA Robert Busbee, he was promoted.
Wright’s job as Chief Investigator for the four-county judicial circuit comes with a great deal of responsibility, which makes Wright’s extensive background in various aspects of law enforcement that much more valuable.
Wright shared in his interview how a violent crash when he was 15-years-old paved the way for him to be where he is today. The driver of one of the vehicles was arrested for driving under the influence and possession of drugs and it thrust him into the law enforcement realm. He then joined ROTC, managed the Pizza Inn, and took on electrical engineering while dual enrolled. All of that was backed by his parents who always encouraged him to present himself in the best manner possible and offer an unparalleled work ethic.
A well-known hometown hero by the name of Air Force Staff Sgt. Chester McBride III was Wright’s first cousin. The pair always shared similar goals, both hoping to end up at the FBI Academy some day. Tragically, McBride was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2015.
On September 11, 2001, at the ripe age of nineteen, Wright interviewed with the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office He was hired to work in the jail and was responsible for all-things-inmate, from booking officer to floor officer to simply ensuring the detainees had what they needed. He worked in that capacity until 2005, rising to the rank of Corporal and, for a period, working as a supervisor for his shift in the jail.
“When you walk in a cell block with 20-30 guys, you learn real quick how to talk to people,” Wright said.
For more than two decades, Wright has held the position that he should take whatever knowledge he can from the people around him in an effort to better himself. Throughout his interview, he wasn’t shy about crediting the people who influenced him over the years, including, from Nick Scripture and Danny Tremble in the Bulloch County Jail to Fred Cotton who took him on ride alongs. He also shared experiences with John Staten, Charlie Hendrix, and Kenny Thompson.
Wright had a desire to move to the road and patrol, but when the opportunity did not present itself, he took a position with the Department of Juvenile Justice, working as a juvenile corrections officer at the Claxton Youth Detention Center for about a year.
“To me, that was a great learning experience because I got to see the ones coming up, coming from bad homes, bad families,” Wright said.
In January 2007, Wright was hired by Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie in Effingham County. He took on the job as a jail officer with the promise of the opportunity to become a road deputy. In April 2008, that opportunity became a reality when Wright graduated from the police academy.
Wright spoke with great enthusiasm on the impact of his Field Training Officer (FTO) James Dingledein. “He was always just so put together, so good about doing reports, just sharp – on everything. He challenged me. I learned so much from him.”
In August of 2008, with just four months of patrolling under his belt and still in the FTO program, Wright was one of the responding deputies to the infamous Heidt murders in Springfield.
He talked about the crash course on the worst kind of days, sharing what he thought while clearing the house with others on the shift and the smell of gasoline that lingered for days. The scene was unlike anything he’d ever seen before.
“I told my wife, ‘I don’t know about all this. I don’t know if this is for me,” Wright shared. “But that’s how I was broken in on patrol.” Nevertheless, he went on to work the road for several more years.
In 2010, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit was established and Wright, along with Brian Mundy, Jamie Thompson, and Mark Cartwright were McDuffie’s picks. There, he focused on traffic enforcement, DUIs, and public education.
Along the way, Wright began studying at East Georgia State College to obtain his two-year degree and he ultimately transferred to Georgia Southern to finish out a degree in Justice Studies. In the meantime, he moved to the Civil/Warrants Division.
In 2018, Captain Rick Dailey recruited Wright to the Criminal Investigations Division of the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office. He started working financial crimes and other similar cases and Dailey coached him in his first murder cases, including the murder of Renee Reagan. In that case, Spencer Robbins was convicted and sentenced to Life in prison. Notably, Wright also saw to conviction the case against Justin Jamison – who was charged with murdering Jamison Lemons and the case against Autumn White and Aaron Knight – who were charged with killing Dennis Willis. He also assisted in the case of Jimmy Williams, Jr. in which Spencer Moore was ultimately convicted.
In December 2021, Wright made the decision to leave the Sheriff’s Office for a position at the District Attorney’s Office as an investigator under Tom Woodrum. The decision, he said, wasn’t an easy one as it ended his fifteen-year tenure with ECSO alongside so many people who helped shape him into the law enforcement officer he had become.
“A lot of people let me go home over the years and I honestly believe it’s because of how you treat them,” Wright said of his law enforcement career ‘outside’ of an office.
But it didn’t take long for Wright to ‘shine’ in his new role, either. In 2024, he was named Investigator of the Year in 2024 with the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office after he assisted with the successful prosecution of a triple homicide.
The diverse background Wright brings is helpful in his position since he is effectively the liaison for the district attorney’s office and the law enforcement agencies across the circuit. And for those agencies, he is a familiar face.
“I want to make sure the office has working relationships with these agencies so we can make sure things get done and they get done right. The details matter – they matter to the victims, to the defendants, the attorneys, so they matter to me.”
Wright will be responsible for essentially tying up loose ends before a case heads to court. He also oversees the work of the other investigators in the office.
When asked what he’s most excited about with his new role, Wright said making a difference. “Being able to answer questions when an affected person is in need and helping get these cases over the finish line means everything.”
Busbee said in an unrelated interview that Wright ‘basically hired himself’ to the position of Chief Investigator. He remarked that he had not planned to put someone in the chief investigator position so soon into his tenure, but Wright’s initiative and leadership set him apart and made it clear that he was the best man for the job.
Andrae and his wife, Dr. Crystal Wright, live in Bulloch County and have three children.
