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Georgia man sentenced to life in prison for shooting ex-girlfriend
By Greg Wehner
Published December 19, 2022
A Barnesville, Georgia man was sentenced to a life of incarceration on Monday, for killing his girlfriend last year during a Fourth of July barbecue.
Raphael Kelley, 22, pleaded guilty in Henry County Superior Court on Monday to charges of malice murder and possession of a firearm while committing a felony.
Raphael Kelley of Barnesville, Georgia pleaded guilty to killing his ex-girlfriend in 2021 and was sentenced to life in prison. (Locust Grove Police Department)
Henry County District Attorney Darius Pattillo said in a press release that Kelley agreed to a negotiated plea agreement of spending life plus five years in prison.
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On July 4, 2021, Kelley got into a disagreement with his ex-girlfriend, Laci Moss, 22, during a barbecue at a home on Lobolly Ridge in Locust Grove.
After the argument, Kelley left the party, Pattillo said.
He later returned to the home and shot Moss six times in front of her mother and friends, the DA added.
A Business Insider columnist suggested that Fourth of July celebrations should be shifted indoors. (iStock)
"We are grateful to bring justice to the family of Ms. Moss without having to put them through the difficulty of testifying at trial," Pattillo said.
During the sentencing on Monday, Superior Court Judge Pandora E. Palmer had harsh words for Kelley.
"I hope you see her face every day that you live out the rest of your life and think about what you’ve done," she said. "If you had just walked away, we would not be here."
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