A Barrow County man pleaded guilty to kidnapping and will spend 25 years in prison after he was charged with shooting his ex-girlfriend before driving her to South Carolina and abandoning her there, federal officials said.
Ralph Haywood Jones, 30, of Winder, pleaded guilty in April to one count of kidnapping, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Ryan K. Buchanan said in a news release. In addition to shooting and kidnapping his ex-girlfriend, Jones was accused of shooting one of her friends.
Jones was initially charged with two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of aggravated battery in addition to the kidnapping charge, Winder police said at the time. The case was investigated by the FBI because it involved a kidnapping that crossed state lines.
The incident took place in June 2019 when Jones and his ex-girlfriend were planning to go to South Carolina for a supervised visit with their children, Buchanan said. Jones’ ex-girlfriend asked a friend to ride with them.
Before leaving Winder, Jones shot his ex-girlfriend’s friend and left her wounded in the driveway, Buchanan said. Jones also shot his ex-girlfriend in the neck, according to Buchanan. Both women survived their wounds.
Jones then drove his ex-girlfriend to Fair Play, South Carolina, Buchanan said. Fair Play is more than an hour from Winder on I-85, just across the state line near Lake Hartwell.
In Fair Play, Jones abandoned his ex-girlfriend and his car in a store parking lot, Buchanan said. Police found the woman “bleeding and incoherent from the gunshot wound,” Buchanan said. Jones was found hiding in the bushes next to the store and arrested.
“Jones’ horrific violence resulted in significant trauma to his victims, their families and his children,” Buchanan said. “Fortunately, the quick response of our local law enforcement partners prevented the victims’ deaths.”
“The only thing to be thankful for after Jones’ reign of terror is that no one was killed, even though he showed a disregard for human life,” Special Agent of FBI Atlanta Keri Farley said.
In addition to 25 years in prison, Jones was sentenced to five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
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