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46-year-old Tabitha Zelida Wood, of Georgia, was found guilty of murdering her fiancé and living with his body for two months until authorities found out about his death.
As per court documents obtained by WSB-TV, on January 17, 2023, Tabitha was found guilty by a Hall County grand jury of killing and obscuring the death of her fiancé last year.
The news came to light when the victim's stepdaughter reported her concerns over his safety as she had not heard from him for a few months. Following the report, officials found out about the death of 82-year-old Leroy Franklin Kramer Jr.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of abuse. Readers' discretion is advised.
Tabitha Zelida Wood lived with her fiance's corpse for months
Hall County Sheriff’s deputies came to Leroy Franklin Kramer Jr.'s residence in Georgia in June 2022 and discovered his body. This was when Tabitha told deputies that her fiance died during the first week of April and that she had been residing with his dead body in the house since then.
An autopsy conducted by the Hall County Sheriff’s office revealed that Leroy Franklin Kramer Jr.'s death was a homicide.
The sheriff’s office reported that the autopsy showed that the preliminary cause of death was concluded to be blunt and sharp force trauma. On March 17, 2023, a Hall County grand jury found Tabitha Zelida Wood guilty of malice murder, aggravated assault, two counts of felony murder, concealing someone's death, financial transaction card theft, and exploitation of an elderly individual.
What did Tabitha Zelida Wood tell the jury?
The Gainesville Times reported that Tabitha and Leroy were introduced to each other through a mutual friend, and Leroy said that he was tired of living alone and needed help. After they began dating, Tabitha moved into his Candler Road residence in 2020, and they got engaged the following year.
The publication reported that Tabitha Zelida Wood claimed that as the relationship advanced, Leroy "became aggressive," and he would beat her with a belt, particularly when she refused to have s*x with him.
The Gainesville Times reported that during the course of the trial, Tabitha told the jury that she informed Leroy Franklin Kramer Jr. that she would have physical relations with him if he stopped the abuse and torture.
Tabitha said:
"I ended up not doing it, and him starting hitting me with a belt again."
She also mentioned that on the evening of the incident, Leroy commanded her to have s*x with him, and she claimed that he grasped her hair as she tried to move him away.
Tabitha then mentioned that she kicked Leroy and also testified that she "possibly could have blacked out." The Gainesville Times reported that Tabitha stayed with Leroy's corpse for three days before hiding it in the house as she thought no one would believe her story.
Tabitha Zelida Wood's sentence has not yet been announced by the court.
