A Barnesville man pleaded guilty to shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend in Locust Grove and will spend the rest of his life in prison.

A plea was entered December 19 in Henry County Superior Court by Raphael Kelley, 22, on charges of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to the Henry County District Attorney’s Office. The negotiated plea deal included a sentence of life plus five years in prison.

The killing took place at a barbecue July 4, 2021. According to the DA’s report, Kelley got into a disagreement with ex-girlfriend Laci Moss, 23, at a home on Loblolly Ridge in Locust Grove. After leaving the party, Kelley later returned and shot Moss six times in front of her mother and friends.

“I hope you see her face every day that you live out the rest of your life and think about what you’ve done,” Superior Court Judge Pandora E. Palmer told the defendant during sentencing. “If you had just walked away, we would not be here.”

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Sybil Price.

“We are grateful to bring justice to the family of Ms. Moss without having to put them through the difficulty of testifying at trial,” said District Attorney Darius Pattillo.