Court of Appeals Upholds Murder Conviction of Elbert County Man

An Elbert County man, serving a 40-year sentence for the murder of a Bowman woman will remain in prison.

This week, District Attorney Parks White announced that the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the voluntary manslaughter conviction of 54-year-old Gregory Robert Roberts.

Their decision means Robert’s conviction is final and will have to serve his entire sentence

In October 2017, Roberts murdered 30-year-old Ashley Williams of Bowman.

Roberts lived with Williams at her home on the Beaver Run Extension in Bowman where her body was found. He was later found in Anderson County, SC, and arrested.

During his trial in 2021, Roberts’ defense attorney claimed Williams had died of a fentanyl overdose, but White said two toxicology tests, one by the GBI and an independent test performed at the request of Roberts’ defense counsel, showed Williams had not consumed fentanyl.

White said the case marked the first occasion in which 3D printed body parts were used at trial in the State of Georgia, specifically a 3D printed hyoid bone to show the jury the manner in which the Defendant strangled the victim, causing a fracture of the hyoid bone.

According to White Roberts has a long criminal history of domestic violence as well other crimes dating back to 2002 that include convictions of burglary and drugs.