A man will spend the rest of his life behind bars in the 2021 killing of his longtime girlfriend at a Cobb County home, authorities announced Friday.
Willie Felix Thompson, 63, was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the killing of 50-year-old Felicia Denise Sullivan. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
On April 19, 2021, Marietta police responded to a 911 call regarding a person shot in the 200 block of Goldie Drive, Cobb Executive Assistant District Attorney Latonia Hines said. Officers found Thompson intoxicated outside of the home.
Sullivan was found shot to death on the floor in the bedroom they shared, Hines said. On the bed next to her was Thompson’s 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Investigators found out that Thompson had reached out to his sister after killing Sullivan and told her he had shot her, according to Hines. Thompson was arrested that evening.
During Sullivan’s and Thompson’s long-term relationship, Hines said there had been a history of domestic violence.
Credit: Elliott Sons Funeral Home
Credit: Elliott Sons Funeral Home
During the trial, Thompson testified that he was acting in self-defense and the firearm went off accidentally, Hines said.
The jury was presented with testimony from officers and detectives with Marietta police, Thompson’s family members, the Cobb Medical Examiner, the GBI Crime Lab, and the victim’s family members. Physical evidence, including the 9mm pistol and body-worn camera video from responding officers also assisted jurors in finding Thompson guilty, Hines said.
“This murder was the culmination of years of abuse. This verdict and sentence send a sobering reminder about the cycle of violence in domestic abuse. Domestic violence in any form cannot, and will not, be tolerated in Cobb County,” Senior Assistant DA David Williamson said.
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