Enraged Defendant Guilty Of Killing Ex-Girlfriend's Uncle

ATLANTA, GA -- A man has been convicted in the murder of his ex-girlfriend's uncle when the woman tried to break up with him. Donald Woods, 58, and Yvonne Wesley met in high school in Chicago but did not become romantically involved until many years later after her late husband passed away. Prosecutors said Woods was possessive and controlling throughout their relationship, and he physically abused Wesley multiple times.

Wesley and Woods moved to Atlanta in April 2016, and in June 2017, Woods decided to end the relationship. The victim drove to Fayetteville, NC, to inform her sister of her decision, and following that trip, Wesley returned to Georgia to follow through with her intentions to end the relationship.

On June 28, 2017, Wesley informed Woods of her plan to end their relationship during a conversation at their shared residence along Sells Avenue in Atlanta. Following the discussion, Wesley quickly left the property with only her keys, purse, and laptop in hand.

The next day, June 29, 2017, Wesley’s uncles, 70-year-old Edmund Orr and 73-year-old Otha Orr agreed to escort their niece to her shared residence to retrieve her belongings. When they arrived, Wesley knocked on the door and was met by Woods. She let Woods know she was there to retrieve her belongings, but as Otha Orr attempted to enter the apartment, Woods pushed him away and stepped back inside to retrieve a handgun. As Wesley and her uncles stepped away from the door, Woods re-emerged with the firearm and struck Edmund Orr numerous times in the head using the blunt end of the gun.

Otha intervened in an attempt to help his brother when Woods said, “You are not going to take her away from me; I’m going to get you!”

Woods and Otha continued to fight, and Otha managed to pin Woods to the ground. Woods eventually escaped and removed the safety on the gun. Otha attempted to dislodge the 9mm Luger firearm from Woods’ hands, but the defendant shot him four times. Woods then turned his attention to Edmund and gave chase. During the chase, Woods fired two shots in Edmund’s direction before fleeing the scene in a Ford Explorer. Edmund sustained injuries to his head and face as a result of Woods striking him with the firearm. Otha died at the scene from two gunshot wounds to his head and body.

Following the murder, Woods’ picture was disseminated through the media. Hours after the homicide, Woods turned himself in to police. The entire altercation, except for the shooting, was captured by surveillance cameras at the apartment complex. Cell phone records before and after the shooting revealed attempts by Woods to convince Wesley to remain in the relationship. Minutes after Woods murdered Otha he sent a text message to Wesley that read, “I love you very much. Repent truly to God for His forgiveness. Please!”

Woods has been sentenced to life in prison plus 21 years to serve.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

Shutterstock