Former school official going to prison for shooting wife, mistress
Six years ago, an Atlanta assistant middle school principal went to the home of his estranged wife in Fairburn, and fired four shots into her stomach and legs.
When his 16-year-old stepdaughter heard the gunshots and came running, he turned the gun on her, forcing her to cower on the floor. He didn't shoot her, but he did drive to the home of his mistress in Clayton County and shoot her three times, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said.
A jury convicted Rodney Denson, 43, on multiple felony counts Thursday evening, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and cruelty to children.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson sentenced Denson to 35 years in prison.
Both women survived their shootings, and the girl was not physically injured, though Howard said she suffered emotional trauma.
Howard said Denson went on the Nov. 22, 2004, rampage because he feared his affair would be exposed publicly and he would lose his job over it.
It turns out he was right, but not in the way he expected.
"He hoped shooting the women would keep them quiet about his indiscretions," Howard said.
The Georgia Supreme Court in January 2009 reversed an earlier conviction of Denson, concluding in a unanimous opinion that there was a flaw in Denson's court transcript.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
