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

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

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

Officials say the charges stem from an incident on May 11, 2022. According to investigators, Washington and his girlfriend had been living in a motel on Highway 29 after leaving a substance abuse facility a month earlier.

Timothy Leon Washington (Coweta County Sheriff's Office)

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

A neighboring resident heard the shots and cried for help and told the front desk clerk to call 911. Medics were able to save the woman's life, but the injuries left her paralyzed from the waist down.

Officers found Washington at another motel. After a standoff that lasted hours, 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. According to officials, the pistol had jammed, which may have been the one thing that stopped Washington from killing his victim.

"This act of violence has left this victim paralyzed for the rest of her life and if Washington had his way, he would have kept firing until he killed the victim," District Attorney John H. Crawford said in a news release.

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

Crawford said while the charges are parole eligible, he desires to make "Washington serve every day of his 45-year sentence."