On a summer day in Atlanta, 73-year-old Otha Orr, a male Vietnam veteran, went to help his niece move out of the apartment she shared with her boyfriend, but the day ended in tragedy. His niece, Yvonne Wesley, had decided to end her relationship with Donald Woods, a man described as possessive and controlling. On June 29, 2017, Otha and his brother, Edmund Orr, accompanied their niece to the residence on Sells Avenue to retrieve her belongings.
When they arrived, Woods allowed his
ex-girlfriend to enter but then confronted her uncles. He pushed Otha Orr away and then retrieved a 9mm handgun. The situation quickly escalated as Woods pistol-whipped Edmund Orr in the head multiple times. Otha Orr intervened, attempting to disarm Woods. During the struggle, Woods reportedly said, 'You are not going to take her away from me; I'm going to get you!' He then shot Otha Orr four times. After shooting Otha, Woods chased Edmund, firing at him twice before fleeing the scene in a Ford Explorer. Otha Orr died at the scene from gunshot wounds to his head and body.
Hours after the fatal shooting, Donald Woods, then 57, turned himself in to Atlanta police. Investigators found surveillance footage from a nearby apartment complex that captured the events leading up to the shooting, though not the shooting itself. Cellphone records also revealed that Woods had been trying to convince Wesley to stay with him, sending her a text minutes after her uncle's death that read, 'I love you very much. Repent truly to God for His forgiveness. Please!'
Donald Woods was subsequently charged with murder, felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was later convicted of murdering Otha Orr. In December 2018, a judge sentenced Woods to life in prison plus an additional 21 years for his crimes.
