An East Cobb man indicted last year for the death of his wife due to what prosecutors alleged was an extreme case of neglect has been sentenced to life in prison. 
Cobb Superior Court Judge Kellie Hill handed down the sentence after a jury found Gary Williams guilty of felony murder and neglect at his trial earlier this week, according to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.
The DA’s office said that Williams, 66, badly disregarded the needs of his disabled wife, Addreinne Gordon, to the point that her body was covered in sores and lesions and her bed was blackened with human waste.
Gordon was 66 years old when she was admitted to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital on Nov. 9, 2021, “and placed on maximum-level life support,” according to a release from the Cobb DA’s office. “She died the following day from blood poisoning.”
Williams was Gordon’s caregiver at a home in the Lake Fjord neighborhood that is owned by her estate.
According to the DA’s office, Gordon was visited by Adult Protective Services at the hospital before her death and “reported numerous injuries,” according to the release.
An arrest warrant for Williams stated that Gordon was observed with “multiple and severe bed sores, extremely matted hair, untrimmed toenails and fingernails, feces under and around the toenails and a large, deep laceration to the left hip area.”
Williams was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in late July 2022, then was taken into custody at the Cobb Adult Detention Center, and has been held there without bond ever since, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking reports.
“This case was not about how she died—it was about how she was forced to live,” Cobb DA Sonya Allen said in the release, referring to Gordon.
“She suffered slowly, trapped in a body she could not care for, completely dependent on the one person who vowed to protect her. The only person who could have given her dignity, safety, and comfort instead allowed her to endure a living torture until she died.”
According to her obituary, Gordon worked for the Xerox Corp. for 30 years until her retirement in 2008, and is survived by a daughter, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
“Addreinne, who was affectionately known to her family as ‘Honey,’ was known as a giver with a wide smile and huge personality. She loved cooking and entertaining and celebrated every holiday with excitement. Her favorite times included being with her family, especially her grandchildren.
“Her laugh and zeal for life was contagious to all who knew her.”
Related:
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- Cobb Superior Court Clerk indicted for destroying records
- Cobb Juvenile Court administrator receives national award
- Cobb judge receives award from Young Lawyers Division
- East Cobb woman released by ICE; husband still detained
- East Cobb couple detained by ICE; son fights for their release
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