MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — The boyfriend of 22-year-old Toriyahna Proctor will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted in her 2022 murder, according to the Monroe County District Attorney's Office.
Jadarius Watts, Proctor's boyfriend and father to her child, was convicted on Wednesday of her murder, according to Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Dorothy Hull, who co-prosecuted the case with Carolee Jordan.
The jury took under an hour to reach their decision.
Watts' was convicted Wednesday of Malice Murder, Felony Murder and Obstruction of an Officer, Hull said. His trial started Monday.
Judge Tommy Wilson sentenced Watts to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Back in March 23, 2022, Proctor was originally reported missing. She was later found dead in the backseat of Watts' car near Lake Juliette, according to previous reporting.
Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman told 13WMAZ at the time that Watts attempted to run away and actually jumped off the dock of Lake Juliette and started swimming.
"But he couldn't swim," Freeman said, "so deputies had to pull him out of the water."
Proctor and Watts had a daughter together. With her mother dead and her father in prison, Hull says that Proctor's parents, Latosha and Willie Proctor, adopted the child and are now raising her.
Her mom, Latosha, gave a victim impact statement prior to Watts' sentencing.
MORE THAN A NUMBER
RELATED: More Than A Number: Family Form
More Than A Number is a Poynter-Stand Together award-winning project by Justin Baxley designed to help families of loved ones impacted by tragedy and trauma interact with journalists in a less intrusive way. Families are able to fill out a form about their family and also receive an in-depth guide on the next steps.
More Than A Number officially launched in August with a streaming special available on 13WMAZ+ for on-demand streaming. For any questions or concerns about More Than A Number, contact us here at the following email: MoreThanANumber@13wmaz.com.