(ICYMI) Jealous Man Sentenced for Murder of Estranged Wife's Friend

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A Douglas County jury took about an hour to convict a man for the 2013 murder of a woman who had been romantically linked to his estranged wife.

Raymond McKoy was sentenced to life without parole for murdering Lauren Hudson on June 22, 2013, in Douglasville during a fit of jealousy. Prosecutors said McKoy shot Hudson four times, including a final “execution style shot to the back of her head,” as he stood over her, according to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office.

The verdict and sentencing ended a two-week-long trial prosecuted by District Attorney Brian Fortner and Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ackley.

The DA’s Office said on Facebook that McKoy’s marriage to his wife Tameka was on the rocks in 2013, when she moved into her own apartment in May to get away from him. Prosecutors said became he jealous of Hudson, who previously had been romantically involved with the couple. His anger grew when Hudson visited Tomeka in June of that year.

Tameka had called police one night a week before the murder to report McKoy had a gun and refused to leave the apartment, prosecutors said.

The on June 22, 2013, he went to the apartment unannounced at around 3:15 a.m. after drinking at a party earlier in the night. He was angered after seeing a photo of the two women on Instagram, the district attorney’s office said.

“In the early morning hours of the 22nd, he showed up at their apartment with a gun and entered the home as Tameka and Lauren were arriving home and putting the kids to bed,” the office said on Facebook. “The defendant confronted his wife about the photo he had seen and demanded his family back. Tameka told him multiple times to leave and to go to the new family he had built with a woman he was having an extramarital affair with.

“Lauren grew concerned because she knew the defendant had previously pointed a gun at Tameka and threatened her. She called a friend and told her what was going on and that she got a gun just in case but she stayed inside to avoid the argument. When Tameka told the defendant a final time to leave, he snapped and went into the room where Lauren was at and shot her 4 times. The fatal shot was an execution style shot to the back of her head.”

McKoy was found by a K9 officer hiding in the woods about five hours later.

McKoy took the stand in his own defense during the trial, claiming that it was self-defense, but his testimony was thrown out when he refused to be cross-examined, the DA’s office said.

He was convicted of malice murder.

At sentencing, a letter written by Hudson’s daughter was read aloud, recounting how she was about to celebrate her 10th birthday when the murder happened.

District Attorney Fortner told the court McKoy “executed the victim for no reason other than jealousy and ego” and ”refused to grant mercy to Lauren Hudson and therefore he deserved no mercy for himself,” which justified a sentence of life without parole.

McKoy asked for mercy and continued denied murdering Hudson.

Judge Robert J. James called McKoy remorseless before sentencing him to life without parole, the district attorney’s office said.

Photo: Raymond McKoy; Douglas County DA’s Office Facebook