A Georgia man who shot his wife seven times after she asked for a divorce will be spending decades behind bars for the horrific crime. Ronald Richard Goss, 57, pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the February 2018 incident in which he forced his way into the home of his then-estranged and now-ex-wife Tina Davis and telling her “if he could not have her, no one could” before opening fire.
- Goss was arrested and charged the same day of the crime. He was charged with criminal attempt to commit murder, home invasion, and aggravated battery with aggravated assault under the Family Violence Act, Patch.com reports. Authorities noted upon his arrest that Goss had significant injuries on his face. It was later revealed that the injury was caused by a ricocheting bullet.
- Cherokee County grand jurors officially indicted him the following year. He was charged with one count each of criminal attempt to commit murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, home invasion in the first degree, and criminal attempt to commit arson. He also faced nine additional counts of aggravated battery.
- Prosecutors believe Goss previously tried to save his marriage. They say he visited the victim’s home unannounced the day before the shooting to try and save the marriage. However, she refused and said she still wanted a divorce. Goss left, but returned the next day, cut the power, and shot his way into the locked house. There, he shot Davis in the chest, left forearm, left thumb, left shoulder, right hip, and head, “causing internal injuries as well as a spinal injury that left her with no feeling from the waist down.”
- The victim is lucky to be alive. Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace told CBS affiliate WMAZ she was pleased with the sentencing but that his victim will suffer for years to come. “He did everything in his power to kill Tina Davis. It is only by the grace of God that she is still here with us,” she said. “While his plan to kill Tina was unsuccessful, in less than five minutes, Mr. Goss ended Tina’s life as she once had known it. In the four years since Tina was ambushed in her home, she has endured a tremendous amount of physical and mental suffering, and I am in complete awe of Tina’s strength and determination to regain what this defendant took from her. Hopefully, the resolution in this case will provide her and her family comfort and closure.”
This week, Cherokee Superior Court Judge David Cannon, Jr. sentenced Goss to 65 years behind bars.
