A man who sodomized and attacked a woman in 2019 was found guilty by a Douglas County jury Thursday, officials said.
Earl Hagger was convicted of aggravated sodomy, aggravated battery and aggravated assault after the jury deliberated for less than an hour, the Douglas District Attorney’s Office said Monday.
The sheriff’s office was made aware of the incident only a day after it happened when they were dispatched to Grady Memorial Hospital, where the victim was a patient.
The woman told deputies she was at Hagger’s residence when he started to get physical with her, according to the DA’s Office. During the incident, officials said Hagger sodomized the victim. As she tried to fight back, Hagger began to hit her with a stick, which caused extensive bruising, swelling and a broken arm, according to authorities.
Several hours later, Hagger drove the woman back to her Atlanta residence, where she called 911 and an ambulance took her to Grady. An examination revealed that the victim also suffered two broken vertebrae.
Hagger had previously been convicted of rape and aggravated sodomy in Fulton County in 1984.
“While this verdict will not fully heal the victim, we believe this will be a steppingstone for her along this path,” District Attorney Dalia Racine said. “Our collaboration (with law enforcement), along with the victim’s courageous testimony, allowed us to secure a conviction for the horrific acts this victim had to endure.”
Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.
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