HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — A man has been sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for killing his wife by stabbing her nine times at Creekwood Park in Perry in January 2022.
Matthew Jamal Kendrick was convicted of Malice Murder by a Houston County jury on August 9, according to a press release from the Houston County DA. The trial began on Monday, August 7, and it took the jury around 15 minutes to reach their verdict.
Given the nature of the killing, he was sentenced on Monday, where the state argued to the Court for Life without the possibility of parole.
The defense argued for Life with the possibility of parole.
Superior Court Judge G.E. "Bo" Adams sentenced Kendrick to Life in prison with the possibility of parole. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years in prison.
The original incident happened last year when Kendrick was arrested on January 11, 2022, after making a 911 call saying he had stabbed his wife in the parking lot of Creekwood Park in Perry.
He reportedly told law enforcement that it was self-defense and that his wife, Shateria Watkins, was trying to run over him with a car.
The Perry Police Department investigated the case and discovered a video from a camera at the park, which showed Kendrick and Watkins parked in Kendrick's car.
According to the release, "Kendrick exited the vehicle and, while it was parked, forcefully pulled open a car door and stabbed his wife multiple times. Watkins drove away from the scene and to her house nearby. In total, Kendrick stabbed his wife nine times."
Officers found Kendrick near the park and arrested him. At the time of the arrest, his hands were covered in blood.
Officers found the murder weapon not far from where Kendrick was arrested. The knife also had blood on it, and it was sent away for DNA testing. The results confirmed that the blood belonged to Watkins, as well as the knife.
In addition to the murder evidence, trial evidence of an incident between Watkins and Kendrick was brought up that happened only five months prior, where Kendrick discharged a gun after a disagreement with Watkins.
According to records, the two had only been married for ten days before her murder at Creekwood Park. Watkins was only 20 years old when she died.
The Houston County DA's press release said the jury "was also allowed to consider a lesser charge of Voluntary Manslaughter but rejected the lesser charge."
"I am grateful for the job well done and for ADA J. Duane's determination in holding this defendant accountable for his actions. As our Office continues our mission to seek justice and to remind criminals that Houston County is no place for crime, we know that the victim's family will still mourn the death of Shateria. We know that this conviction does not bring Shateria back to Life, but we hoped to have helped provide some justice to the family," said Kendall.