Carrollton man sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murder

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — A Carrollton man pleaded guilty on Monday to murdering a woman in July 2022.

Richard Sigman, 49, pleaded guilty to malice murder, three counts of aggravated assault, and three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

A Superior Court judge sentenced Sigman to serve life in prison with the possibility of parole, followed by 55 years to serve in prison consecutively.

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Sigman, who was 47 years old at the time of the murder, will not be eligible for consideration for parole until he is 77 years old.

According to the Coweta County District Attorney, on July 30, 2022, Sigman got “severely intoxicated” in downtown Carrollton while in possession of a handgun.

Shortly after midnight, he entered the lower level of the courthouse parking deck, drew his gun, and walked up to a car occupied by three women, all of whom were college students.

Investigators said Sigman approached the passenger side of the car and banged on the window while displaying his gun.

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As the frightened victims began to back out of their parking space to escape, police said Sigman fired three rounds, striking the woman in the front passenger seat in the head and killing her.

When police arrived, Sigman told police someone shot at him and then he returned fire in self-defense.

However, security footage from the parking garage proved his claims to be untrue.

Investigators said Sigman had no prior connection to any of the victims.

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