FAYETTEVILLE -- A Fayetteville man pleaded guilty Monday to attempted capital murder and battery related to the stabbing and beating of a woman during a domestic dispute in November 2013.
Jessie Ellis, 41, was sentenced by Washington County Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay to 50 years at the Arkansas Department of Correction with 10 years suspended. He also was ordered to have no contact with the victim and provide a DNA sample, according to Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Amy Driver.
"I think the sentence reflects that we don't tolerate violent crimes like this in our community," Driver said. "The Fayetteville Police Department did an excellent job investigating this heinous crime."
Police found Dorothy Kelley on Nov. 17, 2013, at a house on North Daisy Lane. She was stabbed multiple times and hit with a pistol. Kelley told police Ellis attacked her.
Ellis had fled the scene. His car was found abandoned on Interstate 49 near Johnson a short time later. Police found a blood smear inside his car and there was a large, bloody kitchen knife on the floor board.
Kelley told police Ellis had pointed the pistol at her in the driveway of her residence and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire.
Kelley said Ellis then threatened to kill their child and began stabbing her when she tried to intervene.
Kelley was treated for her critical injuries at Washington Regional Medical Center.
Prosecutors dropped a second battery charge and a charge of endangering the welfare of a minor as part of a plea bargain.
Kelley and Ellis married in 2003 and divorced in November 2009, according to Washington County Circuit Clerk records.
Kelley twice filed for protection orders against her ex-husband -- in May 2007 and June 2009 -- saying she was in immediate danger of domestic abuse.
The first protection order was dismissed in June 2007 after Kelley nor Ellis appeared at a court hearing.
The 2009 order was dismissed in March 2010 at Kelley's request.
NW News on 03/10/2015