Newnan man sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempted murder of his girlfriend

COWETA COUNTY, Georgia. – A Newnan man will spend decades of his life behind bars for trying to kill his girlfriend in a Coweta County motel.

On Monday, 39-year-old Timothy Leon Washington pleaded guilty to several charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.

Officials say the charges stem from an incident that occurred on May 11, 2022. Investigators said Washington and his girlfriend had been living in a motel on Highway 29 after leaving a drug rehabilitation facility a month earlier.

That night, officials say, Washington entered the motel room and opened fire, hitting the woman three times and leaving her bleeding in the room.

A local resident heard the gunshots, screamed for help and told the receptionist to call 911. Paramedics managed to save the woman's life, but her injuries left her paralyzed from the waist down.

Officers found Washington at another motel. After an hours-long standoff, Washington surrendered to police.

A SWAT team prepared to arrest 39-year-old Timothy Leon Washington at a Coweta County motel on May 11, 2022. (Coweta County Sheriff's Office)

Investigators later found a pistol that matched the caliber of the one used in the shooting. Officials said the gun jammed, which may have prevented Washington from killing his victim.

“This act of violence left the victim paralyzed for the rest of her life and if it had been up to Washington, he would have shot until the victim was killed,” District Attorney John H. Crawford said in a press release.

After pleading guilty, a Coweta County Superior Court judge sentenced Washington to 45 years in prison.

Crawford said that while the charges qualify for parole, he wants Washington to “serve every day of his 45-year sentence.”