DIONNE BAUGH PLEADS GUILTY TO KILLING LANCE HERNDON

Ex-Girlfriend Gets 20 Years in Death of Roswell Businessman

Atlanta-Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announces the guilty plea today of Dionne Baugh in the August 1996 of millionaire businessman Lance Herndon at his Roswell home. Baugh pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter, as the prosecution was set to begin jury selection in her third trial. Baugh was tried and convicted by a Fulton County jury in March 2000. That conviction was reversed on appeal in August 2003. The second trial in October 2003 ended with a hung jury.

Baugh was sentenced to 20 years in prison with 10 to serve and the remaining 10 on probation. The presiding judge in today's proceeding was Senior Superior Court Judge Isaac Jenrette.

District Attorney Howard says "After long consideration, we determined this to be the best disposition in this case for a number of reasons. Through unfortunate circumstances, we are without the first person testimony of two witnesses. The untimely death of Sam House, the chief forensics investigator on the case, means we would have had to present his testimony by way of videotape and transcripts. The presence of a second key witness in Jamaica, would have required us to use videotaped testimony.

"We also considered the toll a third trial would have taken on the Herndon family. This has been a very, very difficult experience for them. Dionne Baugh's admission that she did in fact kill Mr. Herndon spares the family further pain, and we can begin to bring about an end to this matter."

Assistant District Attorneys Clint Rucker, Anna Green and Fani Willis were prepared to move forward with the trial. ADA Rucker noted "This was the best possible outcome for Mr. Herndon's family especially his 13 year-old son, John Harrison, who saw that we never gave up and that Ms. Baugh will be punished for what she did." ADA Green says "There's no doubt we would have convicted her again."

CONTACT: Lyn Vaughn, 404-224-0560 (office); 404-533-1381 (pager)