Ga. man arrested for allegedly beating, sexually assaulting woman and leaving her to die

ALBANY, Ga. (TCN) -- A 63-year-old man is facing multiple charges, including murder, for allegedly raping and beating a woman, causing her to go on life support and later die.

According to the Albany Police Department, on Aug. 10, an off-duty officer found the victim, Melissa Law, unconscious on the 900 block of South Jefferson Street. An ambulance transported her to a nearby hospital, where doctors determined she had been sexually assaulted. Detectives identified her suspected attacker as Johnnie Jones and brought him into custody.

Police initially arrested Jones for aggravated battery and rape.

Law died Aug. 18 when she was taken off life support, which resulted in upgraded charges against Jones. He is now being charged with aggravated assault, murder, aggravated sodomy, and aggravated stalking. He is still facing the other two counts of battery and rape.

WALB-TV reports Law and Jones had a previous relationship and he had allegedly been violent in the past.

Law's sister, Jessica Cloud, told WALB, "It’s a nightmare. When I close my eyes, that’s all I see. He didn’t have to leave my sister there to die. You didn’t have to do anything to her. Why did you kill my sister? She did not deserve this. Why didn’t you call an ambulance? Why didn’t you pick up the phone and call somebody?"

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