Macon Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Stabbing Mother of His Children in Front of Young Kids
MACON, Ga. – A Bibb County jury convicted a 35-year-old man of repeatedly stabbing the mother of his children inside a vehicle while two of their young children were sitting in the backseat.
Shawndarius Deonte Johnson, 35, was convicted on August 20, 2026, of Aggravated Assault and Cruelty to Children in the Third Degree for the August 2, 2021, attack at Northwood Apartments in Macon.
The court sentenced Johnson to 20 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed. He is also prohibited from contacting the victim or her children.
According to the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, Johnson and the victim shared three children and had recently ended a years-long relationship. The two were co-parenting amid ongoing tensions.
On the morning of the attack, which was the first day of school, Johnson helped the woman change a flat tire before getting into her vehicle to see the children.
An argument followed, and prosecutors said Johnson pulled out a knife and repeatedly stabbed the woman in her torso and arms.
Their 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son were in the backseat during the attack.
Victim Fled Car and Collapsed Near Apartment Stairwell
The wounded woman managed to escape from the vehicle before collapsing near a stairwell at the apartment complex.
Johnson initially fled on foot before returning to his vehicle and driving away, according to prosecutors.
Neighbors who heard the attack provided information that helped investigators establish a timeline. Multiple witnesses also identified Johnson’s vehicle as it fled the area.
One of the most significant witnesses at Johnson’s trial was his own daughter, who was 3 years old when she witnessed the stabbing and is now 8.
Prosecutors said the girl told a witness after the attack that her father had hurt her mother. She later described what she witnessed during a forensic interview at a child advocacy center.
Years later, she took the witness stand and told jurors what she remembered seeing inside the vehicle.
Johnson told investigators he did not know who had stabbed the victim. Prosecutors countered that his daughter had witnessed the attack and knew who was responsible.
“This little girl showed more courage on that stand than most adults ever have to,” Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney Anita Howard said.
Howard also credited neighbors, the victim and other witnesses with providing evidence that allowed prosecutors to build the case.
“This verdict happened because an entire community of witnesses came forward and told the truth,” Howard said. “When you pair a thorough investigation with witnesses who corroborate each other, you give a jury everything it needs to reach the right verdict.”
Assistant District Attorney M. Kamran Zahid prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by former Bibb County Investigator Omar Sanders.
