Georgia man sentenced to life for shooting ex-girlfriend in front of their 5-month-old right before Mother’s Day
01/21/2026 4:30 pm PST
SAVANNAH, Ga. (TCN) -- A man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for fatally shooting the mother of his child in 2021.
According to a press release from the DA’s office, WTOC reports Deanna Ellison, who was 29 at the time of her murder, left her relationship with Shawn Bolden, now 33, on Mother’s Day in 2020 when she was pregnant with the couple’s baby.
Law & Crime reports the couple had agreed to co-parent their child.
“Almost a year later and just three days before what would have been Deanna’s first Mother’s Day, Bolden emptied his 9 mm revolver into Deanna, reloaded it, and continued to shoot her lifeless body,” the release stated. “All of this occurred in front of the couple’s 5-month-old child.”
Neighbors called police on May 6, 2021, when they heard gunshots and saw a man running from the home, Law & Crime reports. First responders had to kick in the door. They found Ellison shot multiple times. The baby was crying on the bed, nearly stuck in the headboard. WRDW reports the medical examiner testified that Ellison had been shot 11 times.
An anonymous 911 caller stated Bolden admitted to shooting his “baby mama,” WRDW reports. A BOLO was issued, and a multi-county, high-speed chase ensued, ending with Bolden being taken into custody.
On Dec. 1, 2025, Bolden was convicted of malice and felony murder, WTOC reports. District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones said it took the jury 35 minutes to return the guilty verdict. Bolden was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Jan. 18. In addition, he was sentenced to five years for possessing a firearm during a felony, served consecutively.
Law & Crime reports Ellison’s obituary read, “She was an incredible person that always looked for the good in every experience and everyone she encountered. Her laugh was so big and bright that anyone who heard it couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy.”
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