In a quiet Villa Rica, Georgia community, the long life of 79-year-old Judith Staley came to a sudden and violent end in the summer of 2022. On the afternoon of June 30th, a chilling 911 call was made by her 80-year-old husband, Donald Staley. He informed the operator that he had just shot his wife and was intending to take his own life. This call set in motion a response that would uncover a tragedy within the couple's home of 55 years.
When Carroll County deputies and a Georgia State
Patrol trooper arrived at the residence on Britton Drive, they found Donald Staley outside, armed with a handgun. He surrendered to the officers peacefully. Inside the home, authorities discovered Judith Staley with a gunshot wound to her head. She was immediately airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital for medical attention but succumbed to her injuries later that night.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a grim sequence of events. On that day, Donald Staley had purchased a revolver and ammunition. He then returned to their home, placed a pillow over his wife's head, and fired a single shot. During two separate interviews with law enforcement, he admitted to shooting his wife and reportedly showed no remorse for his actions.
Donald Staley was taken into custody and initially charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery. Following his wife's death, these charges were updated to include murder. He was booked into the Carroll County Jail and held without bond. On April 19, 2023, Donald Staley pleaded guilty to malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault. As a result of a plea agreement, a Superior Court Judge sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
