A Texas man charged with brutally assaulting and raping his girlfriend in 2020 has been given a life sentence in Cobb County, officials said Tuesday.
Fredrick Donyell Woodard, 40, of Arlington, was found guilty Oct. 28 of rape, aggravated assault by strangulation, battery and harassing communications, Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady said in a news release. The charges were the result of Woodard harassing the 25-year-old victim over the course of several days in June 2020, culminating with the assault and rape.
For several days, the victim got nearly 70 “menacing” text messages and phone calls from Woodard, Broady said. She finally agreed to meet with Woodard in the hopes of calming him down.
On June 7, 2020, Woodard followed the victim from her workplace to her apartment, where he confronted her and accused her of cheating, Broady said. Woodard then assaulted her, hitting the woman with his fists and a gun before raping her over the course of three hours. When Woodard fell asleep, the woman called 911.
Cobb police opened an investigation and ultimately arrested Woodard at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Sept. 30, 2020, according to online jail records. His arrest came nearly four months after the victim reported the assault, but the DA’s office did provide any details about the length of the investigation.
Woodard was denied bond and had remained in the Cobb jail for more than two years, online court records show.
The prosecutor in the case, Assistant District Attorney Dallas Cox, praised the victim’s bravery in reporting the crime and testifying at trial.
“This case is not about the man who committed heinous acts on someone he should have cared for, but about the woman who bravely stood up, faced him and showed incredible resilience, courage and strength for her story to be heard,” Cox said.
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