Woman Convicted of Running Down Cobb Sheriff's Deputies Sentenced to Prison

Image Credit: Cobb County Sheriff’s Office

A woman who was found guilty but mentally ill when she hit two Cobb County sheriff’s deputies with her car outside the Cobb County jail last year has received a lengthy prison sentence, the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Candida Rychell Summerlin was sentenced on Monday to serve a 61 year sentence with a minimum 31 years’ incarceration by Bartow County Superior Court Judge Shepherd Howell, the DA’s Office said.

On Sept. 16 of this year, Summerlin was convicted on 13 counts: two counts each of malice murder, felony murder, hit-and-run, criminal damage to property in the first degree and aggravated assault on a police officer, and one count each of aggravated battery, fleeing from police and interference with government property.

Finding a defendant guilty but mentally ill in Georgia means that the defendant, “ will be given over to the Department of Corrections or the Department of Human Resources, as the mental condition of the defendant may warrant,” according to state law.

Summerlin’s defense attorney argued that she was suffering from a bipolar episode on May 31, 2013, when she used her car as a weapon against Sheriff’s Lt. Becky Westenberger and Sgt. Shane Kite. Westenberger suffered permanent damage to her leg and will have rods and pins inside her body for the remainder of her life.

“But for the grace of God we’re not here for a murder sentencing,” District Attorney Vic Reynolds told the court.

“I see no difference than if Ms. Summerlin had taken a gun and shot the officers, or a knife and stabbed them. This time, the choice of weapon just happened to be a vehicle. And she struck the officers after Lt. Westenberger tried to help her.”