DeKalb County man sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting neighbor in Kirkwood Township – On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—A Kirkwood man accused of sexually assaulting a neighbor in her own home was sentenced today, May 17, to life in prison plus 20 years, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced.

A jury found 61-year-old Eric Haygood guilty of rape, two counts of aggravated sodomy and aggravated strangulation in connection with an incident on February 1, 2022.

According to the investigation, Atlanta Police Department officers responded to a home in Kirkwood in reference to a sexual assault. The victim, in her 50s, told officers that she had seen Haygood on the street earlier that morning while walking her dog. Haygood had previously lived at his mother’s house in the neighborhood and was still frequently seen in the area.

The victim returned home and began work for the day. Around 8:30 a.m., Haygood knocked on her door and asked for a favor. When Haygood entered the home, he attacked the victim, grabbing and strangling him and demanding sexual intercourse. The victim’s attempts to verbally and physically stop Haygood were unsuccessful. Before leaving the house, Aygood said, “I’m in trouble” and hugged the victim.

Haygood was previously charged with a similar crime that occurred in the same neighborhood in 2007. Despite the state’s efforts, a DeKalb County jury acquitted Haygood of the charges.

Immediately following the guilty verdicts, DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Yolanda Parker-Smith, who presided over the trial, sentenced defendant Haygood to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 20 consecutive years.

The case, assigned to the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit, was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Paige Boorman with assistance from Senior ADA Elizabeth Tarver, DA Investigator Andre Williams and Victim Advocate Tina Williamson. Detective Fernkorn of the Atlanta Police Department and former Officer Murray, now an SVU detective, led the initial investigation.

Pictured: Eric Haygood, 51. Booking photo provided via the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

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