Supreme Court Unanimously Affirms 2001 Conviction of Barry Slakman

1994 Conviction Overturned, Defendant Was Re-Tried and Again Found Guilty in Wife’s Murder

Atlanta—Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr.  (Atlanta Judicial Circuit) announces that the Georgia Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the 2001 conviction of defendant Barry Slakman (59) for the 6 July 1993 murder of his wife, Shana Glass Slakman (33). In a re-trial following his 1994 conviction for the crime, Slakman was again found guilty in 2001 of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault. The Supreme Court had reversed the original conviction because the court reporter transcribing the trial was called to testify about a statement the defendant had made while testifying. The Court reasoned that the 1994 jury may have given too much credence to the court reporter as she is charged with recording the trial testimony. During the 2001 trial, the State instead called two jurors from the original trial who testified that they also heard Slakman utter something to the effect of “How could I do this to you.” Slakman again claimed that the presentation of this evidence was in error, but this time the Court disagreed. Slakman is currently serving a sentence of life in prison (plus 20 years).

Ms. Slakman died from blunt force trauma to the head complicated by manual strangulation and was found in the bathroom of the couple’s apartment at 7500 Roswell Road NE. The victim was in the process of divorcing the defendant and moving from Atlanta at the time she was killed.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Christopher Quinn argued the appeal for the State.

CONTACT: Erik Friedly, 404.224.0560 (office); 770.583.6069 (pager); erik.friedly@co.fulton.ga.us