Domestic Abuser Gets 18 Years In Prison

MARIETTA, GA — An Acworth man has admitted committing multiple crimes against his pregnant, estranged wife and will serve 18 years in prison. Last week, as his trial was underway and jurors had heard testimony from the victim in the case, Zachriah Kenneth White, 37, pleaded guilty to all charges, which included kidnapping, false imprisonment, battery, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and aggravated stalking.

In November 2016, White and the victim were in the midst of a divorce after having been married 11 years. On Nov. 14, the two began arguing at White’s residence, and the victim was outside at her vehicle, attempting to leave. That’s when White grabbed her by the neck and dragged her back inside the residence. A neighbor witnessed this and called 911, but when police arrived, White forced the victim to keep quiet and would not answer the door.

Two weeks later, White sent the woman threatening text messages, including one ordering her to meet him at the Costco on Barrett Parkway or she would regret it. Out of fear, she went to meet him, but then saw his truck on the side of Interstate 75 and thought he had broken down.

When she pulled over, White immediately took her cell phone and a gun that she brought for protection. He pointed the gun at her and said he would “blow her brains out” all over their infant son, who was in the back seat. White pointed the gun at her stomach and told her that if she flagged anyone down or tried to get help, he would kill her. He also put the barrel of the gun in her mouth before ordering her to drive to Costco and they would talk there.

The victim had told a friend about the meeting, and the friend called police, who encountered the two in the parking lot at Costco. When police arrived, White had the woman’s phone plugged into a computer so he could download and review her messages. Police found the victim’s firearm in White’s possession, along with another gun, and officers saw the threatening messages he had sent her.

While in custody at Cobb Jail, and after the woman had a protective order prohibiting him from contacting her, White called the victim about 100 times a day, sometimes using other inmates’ PIN numbers to place the calls, to threaten her or to encourage her to help him avoid prosecution. In calls and letters, White offered her money if she would get him out of jail.