DAWSONVILLE, Ga. (TCD) — Officials recently arrested a man who allegedly killed his 28-year-old wife in front of their children in 2017 and then failed to show up to his scheduled court dates.
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office announced April 16 that they arrested Jonathan Bates on outstanding bench warrants of two counts of felony murder, malice murder, aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of first-degree cruelty to children, two counts of third-degree cruelty to children, and battery — family violence.
According to WSB-TV, in 2017, Jonathan Bates allegedly pushed his wife, Cynde Bates, in front of their 4-year-old and 7-year-old children, and she fell and hit her head. Investigators determined she died of blunt force trauma. WAGA-TV reports that the kids rushed to a family friend’s home following the incident.
The victim’s family told WSB she was planning to leave Bates due to years of alleged domestic violence.
In October 2022, Bates reportedly failed to attend court in the case. According to the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, he also failed to appear in court for trial on April 15, and a judge issued his bench warrants.
Dawson County Sheriff Jeff Johnson said, “This is another great example of the hard work of our law enforcement professionals. We are truly fortunate to have such dedicated, committed members serving our community.”
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Tyler Mitchell