Georgia – In a chilling case that left residents in Georgia shocked, a 77-year-old man, identified as James W., who called 911 to report that he had killed his 75-year-old wife, identified as Virginia W., has been sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by two decades of probation. James pleaded guilty to murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the 2022 shooting death of Virginia.
On the morning of September 7, 2022, James dialed 911 from his home shortly after he killed Virginia. The call triggered a swift response from local law enforcement, leading to a tense but peaceful standoff and James’ eventual arrest. According to Sheriff L. Marshall, he was the first officer to arrive at the couple’s residence shortly before 10 a.m. There, he found James sitting in the front yard, wearing a white t-shirt and shorts, with a handgun pointed at his own chest. Sheriff Marshall recounted the moment James looked up at him and said, “My wife is in the house….I killed her.”
Marshall immediately contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and turned the scene over to their agents. Negotiators from the Special Response Team arrived to assist. After nearly two hours, James surrendered peacefully at approximately 11:50 a.m. Inside the home, law enforcement discovered Virginia’s body in a rear bedroom. The investigation concluded that she had been shot in the head while she slept. No motive was ever offered by James, and investigators have not suggested one publicly.
After his arrest, James was held in the county jail. Nearly two years later, he entered a guilty plea in court, avoiding a lengthy trial. Prosecutors described the disturbing scene and James’ confession to Sheriff Marshall. The court heard how James’ decision to pull the trigger came without warning, leaving family and law enforcement with unanswered questions about what led to the act. James’ defense attorney asked the court to consider his client’s age and health in sentencing. They described James as physically weak and cognitively declining and stated that their client had difficulty understanding his own health, managing his diet, and making sense of the situation around him.
Nevertheless, the judge accepted the plea deal and sentenced James to 15 years in prison with no possibility of parole. Following that, James will remain under court supervision with 20 years of probation. The terms of the agreement also bar him from contacting family members unless they initiate contact first. Throughout the investigation and court proceedings, no motive was ever given. James never explained why he took his wife’s life. She had been asleep, unaware, in the one place she should have felt safe. The tragic case closed with a plea, a sentence, and an empty home—a life lost and another left to reflect on a single irreversible act. The quietness of that September morning was shattered by the call no one expected and the confession that will not be forgotten: “My wife is in the house…I killed her.”
