ANTOINE WIMES PLEADS GUILTY TO BRUTAL ATTACK ON MOTHER, BABY

Convicted Murderer to serve Additional 75-years in Prison

Atlanta- Two months after being sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a convenience store clerk, Antoine Wimes has admitted his guilt in a separate attack on an innocent mother and her baby. Wimes entered a guilty plea before Fulton County Superior Court Judge John Goger this morning to charges of Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery, Cruelty to Children, Armed Robbery, Burglary and weapons charges for the 2009 assault on 22-year old Shanequa “Nikki” Neely and her one-year old son, Javonte.

On the night of August 17, 2009, Wimes and co-defendant Donavin McCoy hitched a ride to Ms. Neely’s Chattahoochee Hills home. Wimes, on bond for murder, believed the victim (a friend of his sister) had money in a safe. Upon entering the home, Wimes asked Ms. Neely for a glass of water and when she turned to head to the kitchen, Wimes shot her in the back of the neck forcing her to fall to the floor. Wimes then pistol-whipped the one year-old boy and then repeatedly slammed the child against a wall. Co-defendant McCoy then entered the house and assisted Wimes with ransacking the home in search of money. The two ultimately stole a briefcase and gun before fleeing the scene and leaving the victims for dead. McCoy was arrested a short time after the incident. Wimes was apprehended the following day after being discovered in an abandoned home nearby.

At the time of the attack, Wimes was on bond for the 2008 murder of convenience store clerk Okakor “Obi” Onyemaechi. As a condition of his bond, the defendant was placed on house arrest with an ankle monitor, which he removed prior to assaulting Ms. Neely and her son. During his attack on the victim, Wimes told Ms. Neely he needed money to “get out of town” and avoid a life sentence for murder. Ironically, Wimes was sentenced to life in prison in September for the murder of Mr. Onyemaechi. Following his guilty plea today, Wimes was sentenced to 75-years in prison to run consecutive to his life sentence. Co-defendant McCoy was sentenced to 15-years in prison for his role in the crime.

Nikki Neely was partially paralyzed on the left side of her body and no longer has the use of her left hand. The bullet from the gunshot remains lodged in her neck. Removing it, according to her doctors, would cause her spine to collapse. Her son Javonte, while able to walk and talk, suffered severe skull fractures and has had a portion of his skull surgically removed as a result of his injuries.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Clint Rucker prosecuted the case with assistance from DA Investigator G.G. Carawan. Detective Sid Brown of the Chattahoochee Hills Police Department led the initial investigation.

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Media Contact: Yvette Brown, 404-224-0560/404-392-8867, yvette.brown@fultoncountyga.gov