Man Convicted of Killing Cobb Prostitute Sentenced

A New York man will be spending the rest of his life in a Georgia prison after he was convicted of the murder of a 19-year-old prostitute in Cobb County in 2013, the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Ricardo Laron Harris was found guilty last month of malice and felony murder, aggravated battery, and concealing the death of Yvonne Denise James on Jan. 1, 2013. Harris was a client of James’ and was inside her motel room at the Howard Johnson Inn on Delk Road for about 90 minutes. The DA’s Office said that Harris beat James to death and drowned her, then called 911 to report that someone had been killed.

On Friday, Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert E. Flournoy III sentenced Harris to life in prison plus an additional 10 years to serve. James’ mother and cousin were present at Harris’ sentencing hearing to talk about the victim’s “love of life,” prosecutors said.

“No family should ever have to endure what this one did -- learning the details of their 19-year-old loved one’s brutal death at the hands of a serial predator with a history of violence toward women,” said Deputy Chief ADA Jesse Evans, who prosecuted the case. “But, they were thankful that the system worked here and that in all likelihood Ricardo Harris will never be able to do this to another human being.”