A Gwinnett County man has pleaded guilty to killing his wife, an author who was considering separation and divorce before her husband shot her 13 times, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said.
Sheldon Soyer, 45, will serve life in prison plus five years for fatally shooting Vanessa Soyer in front of their 13-year-old son in 2015.
Vanessa Soyer had just returned to the Lawrenceville home she shared with Sheldon Soyer the day before her death. She had been in New York with family and friends “to think about her relationship” with Sheldon Soyer and returned on Nov. 15, 2015, the DA’s office said.
On Nov. 16, 2015, Vanessa Soyer and Sheldon Soyer had an argument. Sheldon Soyer called his son into the room “to tell him something,” the DA’s office said. Then, Sheldon Soyer pushed Vanessa Soyer to the ground and shot her 13 times.
Sheldon Soyer then pointed the gun at his son, "telling him that he was next," but the boy was able to leave the room, the DA's office said. Sheldon Soyer chased the boy out of the house screaming before fleeing the property. Sheldon Soyer was on the run for 24 hours, causing a lockdown at Georgia Gwinnett College.
At Sheldon Soyer’s sentencing, his son broke down in tears, saying that “13 years was not long enough to have had his mother,” the DA’s office said.
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