HENRY COUNTY, Ga. - A Georgia man will spend the rest of his life in prison for shooting his girlfriend to death at a Fourth of July barbecue.
Monday, 22-year-old Raphael Kelley pleaded guilty in a Henry County courtroom to multiple charges related to the death of his ex-girlfriend, 23-year-old Laci Moss.
According to court documents, on July 4, 2021, Kelley got into an argument with Moss during a Fourth of July barbecue at a home in Locust Grove.
After the argument Kelley left the party. Authorities say he returned a short time later and shot Moss six times in front of her mother and friends.
Kelley pleaded guilty to malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
"I hope you see her face every day that you live out the rest of your life and think about what you’ve done," Superior Court Judge Pandora E. Palmer told the defendant during sentencing. "If you had just walked away, we would not be here."
As part of the plea deal, Kelly was sentenced to life plus five years in prison.