62 year old Rome resident Michael Woodrow Terry will be spending the rest of his life in prison.

On Tuesday, Terry plead guilty to shooting and killing his wife – 45 year old Juanita Marie Terry – in 2011 at their home on Livingstone Road; he also pled guilty to a cruelty to children charge – because one of his children had witnessed the murder.

Following the shooting Terry reportedly turned the gun on himself, and pulled the trigger; he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment prior to being placed under arrest.

He was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, first degree child cruelty and with the possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime; in an unrelated case, he had been charged with aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy and sodomy.

According to police Terry had a history of violence; four years prior to the murder police officers had been dispatched to his home after a report by his girlfriend saying he had abused her; Terry finally surrendered following a two-hour stand-off – and was charged with battery and terroristic threats & acts.

(AM1180/Coosa Valley News)