A man who threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend in 2019 before she was able to flee was convicted and faces up to life in prison, officials in Douglas County announced Tuesday.
Dedrick Murray, 47, was convicted of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault, terroristic acts with serious physical injury and stalking. Facing up to life in prison, plus 60 years, Murray is awaiting sentencing.
Deputies with the Douglas sheriff’s office were called to a Publix parking lot Sept. 26, 2019, regarding a person shot. At the scene, police found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder and an injury to the back of her head, the district attorney’s office said. The woman told police her ex-boyfriend attacked her before she fled.
She reported that Murray went to her home unannounced and rang the doorbell. She did not answer, assuming he would eventually leave, according to the DA’s office. The victim’s home then began to feel warm and stuffy, so she told authorities she went outside to inspect the air conditioning unit, suspecting Murray had cut the lines as he allegedly did in the past.
While the victim was inspecting the lines, the district attorney’s office said Murray came up behind her with a gun and asked if she was ready to die. According to authorities, he then forced her back into the house and ordered her to call her daughter and say “goodbye.”
The victim was struck with the firearm when she tried to fight back, the DA’s office said. Authorities said Murray eventually forced the victim into the driver’s seat of her car inside the garage and ordered her to back out.
“The victim told the defendant he would need to shut her garage door or the neighbors would suspect something was amiss. Once Murray exited the vehicle, the victim reversed quickly down the driveway to try to get away,” officials said.
Murray began firing at the vehicle, striking the woman in the shoulder and shattering the driver’s-side window and front windshield, the DA’s office said. The victim managed to escape to the Publix, where she asked bystanders for help and called police.
“The terror and fear that this victim had to endure is unspeakable. Domestic violence impacts not just the victims, but their families and the entire community,” District Attorney Dalia Racine said. “Our office is committed to standing up for victims and to doing our best to hold their abusers accountable. I am so proud of our office and our law enforcement partners for their tenacity in seeking justice.”
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