Keith Travis Landers, 44, of Resaca, was charged with the 2006 death of his wife Sheryal Annette Landers and found guilty by a jury on May 17, 2010.
Yesterday, Landers was sentenced to serve a total of 25 years in prison.
Landers was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and was ordered to serve 20 years. He also received another five-year prison term for one count of cruelty to children in the third degree. He will serve 12 months concurrently for one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and another count of cruelty to children in the first degree.
“This conviction is a victory for Gordon County,” said Beth Peters, outreach coordinator for the Gordon County Domestic Violence Outreach Office.
According to a police narrative from the county sheriff’s office obtained by the Calhoun Times, Sheryal Landers was found dead of a gunshot wound inside her home at 1431 Hill City Road in Resaca on the night of Oct. 30, 2006.
Officers found Sheryal in her bathroom lying across the toilet in a pool of blood. A stainless steel handgun was also found on the floor by the victim. Keith was arrested and charged with murder on Nov. 8, 2006.
According to an arrest time line, Sheryal had sought help from a women's outreach group days before her death, contacting the group on Oct. 13, 2006. The victim told shelter officials that she had been suffering from verbal and emotional abuse and that she had not seen her husband since Oct. 8, 2006.
"I am of the opinion that every life is of worth. Ms. Landers’ life was no exception. She was a mother, provider, daughter and friend to many,” said Peters.
Peters said that one of the greatest tragedies in Sheryal’s death was that she was taken away from her two elementary-aged twins.
“The citizens of this county have spoken and they have said that they will not tolerate domestic violence,” Peters said.
According to court records, Sheryal Landers had made an appointment to see a divorce attorney on Oct. 31, the day after her death.
Peters said it is not uncommon for an abusive situation to escalate once the victim threatens to leave.
“Often violence increases 75 percent once the decision is made to leave,” Peters said.
During the investigation into the death of Sheryal, officers found several works of poetry and letters written by Landers and addressed to the victim. In one poem Landers’ wrote of chasing the victim and being unable to get away.
Peters is encouraging anyone who is a victim of domestic violence or knows anyone who is a victim to call domestic violence outreach office at 706-625-5586 or the 24-hour hot line at 706-278-5586."
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