Stabbed 15 times, woman escapes abuser who tried to kill her

Donelle White (Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Donelle White (Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

She was all set to move out of her home when her abuser walked in drunk, high on drugs and tried to kill her.

That was in 2015.

On Wednesday, she lived to see him, Donelle White, get convicted of attempted murder.

White had been out late June 28, 2015, the night his victim was planning on moving out of the home where he abused her, Fulton County District Attorney spokesman Dontaye Carter said. He’d come home about 3 a.m. after getting drunk and using cocaine and began arguing with the woman about leaving.

She had signed a lease for a new apartment and planned to move out with her two kids a 4-year-old son and a baby girl that she shared with White. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not name victims of abuse.

As the two argued, White punched the woman several times in the face, ripped her bra and shirt off and threatened her, Carter said.

The victim ran and hid in an upstairs bedroom closet where White found her. He stabbed her at least 15 times as the woman’s screams woke up the children.

She had one stab wound on her left arm.

Multiple wounds were found on her chest and head.

Another stab wound punctured the victim’s lung causing her to lose consciousness, Carter said.

When she came to, White was standing over her suffocating her with a bloody sheet asking her: “Why did you have to pick today to die?”

The woman pretended to be dead until White stopped assaulting her. She broke free and ran bleeding and half-naked toward the intersection of Northside Drive and Mitchell Street, Carter said.

A Good Samaritan finally came to her rescue after she’d been hit by several cars. She was later taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and White, according to jail records, was arrested a month later.

The victim still has scarring on her face and body, Carter said, and will likely never regain full use of her left hand and arm.

“For many months after the attempted murder, the victim was unable to care for herself or her children,” he said.

White was also found guilty of aggravated battery, aggravated assault, child cruelty and weapons charges. He will be sentenced Thursday.

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