Aldridge pleads guilty to manslaughter

Local News

Discussion

November 10, 2009

Alan Mauldin The Moultrie Observer Tue Nov 10, 2009, 07:46 PM EST

MOULTRIE — A Moultrie man on trial in a fatal 2007 shooting abruptly entered a guilty plea Tuesday after court proceedings had ended for the day.

Aldridge pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the New Year’s Eve 2007 shooting, which fatally wounded 21-year-old Jakira Strong. The shooting occurred outside Aldridge Grocery, 400 Third Ave. N.W.

Upon accepting the guilty plea, Judge Jim Hardy sentenced Curtis Anthony Aldridge, 46, to a seven-year prison sentence.

Aldridge also pleaded guilty to a second count, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In exchange for the guilty plea charges of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and pointing a gun or pistol at another were dismissed.

Aldridge’s plea came after the prosecutor had completed presenting witnesses.

The first defense witness, originally a prosecution witness but who was not called by prosecutors to testify, initially told jurors that Aldridge was inside the building at the time she heard a single gunshot.

The witness, Renata Haynes, was jailed on charges related to trying to clean up the shooting scene, and under questioning from Assistant District Attorney Brian McDaniel, she said that she spoke with Aldridge’s wife while she was in jail. Haynes said she did not discuss receiving help on her bond or have a three-way conversation with family members during those calls.

At that time Haynes was taken into the judge’s chambers where she was played audio recordings of her phone conversations while at the jail, which contradicted her testimony.

When Haynes took the witness stand following the break she changed her story, saying that Aldridge was outside at the time the gunshot was fired.

At that time Hardy agreed to end the day’s proceedings to allow Assistant Public Defender Jon McClure the opportunity to locate a witness to give testimony the following day, and Aldridge was taken outside by deputies. McClure followed Aldridge outside and a few minutes later returned and said that Aldridge was ready to plead guilty.

On the night of the shooting Aldridge drove Strong, nephew of Colquitt County Commissioner Luke Strong, to Colquitt Regional Medical Center, where he later died.

Witnesses from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation testified that Strong was killed by a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, and that he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the shooting.

In addition to the seven-year sentence on the involuntary manslaughter charge, Hardy sentenced Aldridge to five years probation on the weapons charge.

In another case disposed of Tuesday, Hardy sentenced Donald Wayne Coleman, 34, to serve eight years on a burglary charge in a February 2009 home invasion.

Coleman was accused of entering the residence of Ernest Baird on Feb. 27 armed with a BB pistol and wearing a ski mask. Once inside Coleman demanded money.

Coleman pleaded guilty to the burglary. Two additional counts of attempt to commit a felony and aggravated assault were dismissed.

Text Only

Local News

Bingo Bash 2012
February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Former Moultrian falls to his death
A former Moultrian died Wednesday night after being pushed from a second-story walkway at his apartment complex in Bellingham, Wash., the previous day.

February 3, 2012
Convicted burglar sentenced to 14 years in prison
A man convicted in December on burglary and theft charges was sentenced Friday to a 14-year prison sentence.

February 3, 2012
Fires damage two homes
Stove fires damaged two homes this week, but no injuries were reported in either incident, Moultrie Fire Department reports said.

February 3, 2012
C.A. Gray Technology Fair winners
February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Drug charge added when police arrest theft suspect
A Meigs man charged with theft faces additional charges as suspected marijuana was found on him at the time of his arrest, Moultrie Police Department reports said.

February 3, 2012
CORRECTION: DUI charge
In a Jan. 28 report, The Observer said Ronald Craig Bass, 50, 4411 Dunn Road, Hartsfield, was charged Jan. 26 with driving under the influence, open container violation and probation violation in connection with a minor wreck on Camilla Highway. Excluding the probation violation charge, that information came from a Moultrie police report of a November 2001 incident.
Bass was charged with probation violation Thursday because all the penalties from the 2001 incident had not been paid. He paid the remaining penalties following his arrest, according to a Moultrie police report.
The Observer regrets the error.

February 3, 2012
Peanut Commission Research Report Day will be Feb. 8
The Georgia Peanut Commission will hold the annual Research Report Day Wednesday, Feb. 8, beginning at 9 a.m. at the National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory (NESPAL), located on the University of Georgia Tifton campus. The event provides growers and industry representatives an opportunity to hear the latest reports on research projects funded by GPC in 2011.

February 3, 2012
Boy Scouts help the needy with Scouting for Food program
Scouts of the Suwannee River Area Council, Boy Scouts of America will be collecting food today to help the hungry in the council’s 13-county service area, which includes Colquitt County.

February 3, 2012
Jury duty
February 3, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Should candidates for county positions have to run for a party's nomination?

Local News

Search Results

Discussion

Aldridge pleads guilty to manslaughter

Should candidates for county positions have to run for a party's nomination?

Site Map

Contact Us