Atlanta Man Convicted of Killing His Girlfriend, Unborn Child

A 24-year-old man will spend the rest of his years behind bars after a Fulton County jury convicted him of charges related to the shooting death of his girlfriend Ashley Clark and her unborn baby in 2012, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Roderick Watkins was found guilty of murder, felony murder, feticide, and drugs and weapons violations on Thursday, the DA said. He was immediately sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison, plus an additional 25-year sentence.

“While America has been focused this week upon several troublesome domestic violence issues swirling around professional football player Ray Rice, the Baltimore Ravens and the NFL, a Fulton County jury considered a local case with many of the same issues involving Fulton County residents who are not so famous, but whose pain and sense of loss is infinitely greater,” said Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr. shortly after the three-day trial concluded Thursday.

According to prosecutors and evidence show in court, Watkins shot Clark in the chest on March 14, 2012 while she was sitting on a couch clutching a pillow. Immediately following the shooting, Watkins called 911 and claimed Clark had accidentally shot herself while handing him the gun. However, a GBI ballistics expert testified in court that the trajectory of the bullet proved it was impossible that Clark had shot herself.

Clark was 19 weeks pregnant at the time, but was facing threats from a constantly abusive Watkins, who had been her on-again off-again boyfriend since high school. According to the DA, a March 11, 2012 entry in Clark’s diary claims that Watkins was going to force Clark to have a miscarriage.

According to Judge Shawn LaGrua, the man who sentenced Watkins, the defendant ”had shown no remorse, no concern, or caring during the course of the trial.”