041110 Georgia Plant Supervisor Accused Murdering Co-WorkerNovember 3, 2004Athens, GA - A heated argument between two supervisors at a poultry processing plant erupted in gunfire, leaving one of the men dead and the other charged with murder. Nathaniel Brittain, 52, was arrested after employees at the Pilgrim's Pride Corp. plant in Athens reported the shooting to a passing sheriff's deputy. When Cpl. Larry Clark entered the office where the incident occurred, he found Brittain placing a loaded Glock 9 mm handgun on a counter near the body of 52-year-old Christopher McDuffie, said Clarke County Chief Deputy Sheriff Gene Mays. "They immediately seized him and cuffed him without incident," Mays said. "Cpl. Clark took control of the weapon and put it in his belt. McDuffie's died at the scene of multiple bullet wounds, according to Athens- Clarke County police Lt. Clarence Holeman, who is investigating the case. He said seven 9 mm shell casings were found at the scene. Authorities said the shooting happened while Brittain and McDuffie were arguing and that the two men had a history of "bad blood" between them. "It appears there was some sort of personal thing that had been going on between them for a while," Holeman said. Ray Atkinson, spokesman for Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride, the nation's second-largest chicken company, would not release information about either employee. "Of course our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family," Atkinson said. "We are fully cooperating with authorities at this time."
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