PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A judge sentenced a Paulding County man found guilty of his wife’s murder to life in prison this week with the possibility of parole.
Jonathan Bates was also convicted of manslaughter, two counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of cruelty to children.
In 2017, Bates was charged with the murder of his wife, Cynde Bates. He was accused of pushing her, causing her to fall backward and hit her head. Her cause of death was ruled as blunt force trauma.
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According to a police report, their two children, ages 4 and 7, were present when this happened.
In 2022, Paulding County Chief Judge Tonny Beavers said he did not see enough evidence to find probable cause for murder and cruelty to children. It was later discovered that Beavers had a connection to Bates’ family.
Beavers later recused himself from the case.
But before Bates could face a new judge, he went on the run for 18 months before being arrested again.
Bates also received two years added to the end of his sentence for some misdemeanor charges involved in the case.
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