Georgia man sentenced to 12 years in prison for threatening to set ex-girlfriend on fire

CANTON — A Canton man will spend the next 12 years in prison after he poured gasoline on his ex-girlfriend and threatened to burn her alive when she tried to leave him.

What happened: 27-year-old Jesse Logan Ellis pleaded guilty and was sentenced October 23 to 30 years, with the first 12 years behind bars and the rest on probation. The charges were aggravated assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment.

The incident happened May 13, when his ex-girlfriend went to Ellis’s home to pick up her motorcycle helmet. Ellis refused to let her leave. She escaped briefly by asking to use a bathroom in a separate building on the property, then went to a nearby house and asked two acquaintances to go back with her to get the helmet.

When they returned, Ellis told the woman he loved her and that she could not end the relationship. He then poured gasoline on himself, grabbed her in a bear hug, and held a lighter while threatening to set them both on fire. According to prosecutors, Ellis said words to the effect of, “If I can’t have her, no one can.” The two acquaintances pulled the woman away, took the lighter from Ellis, and called 911.

What she faced: Cherokee County deputies found the woman on the roadside, crying.

“When deputies responded to this domestic dispute, they found the victim on the roadside, crying. She believed she was facing the possibility of being burned alive. Thanks to her quick thinking and the actions of those who helped her, she escaped a situation that could have ended in tragedy. The emotional scars of that experience remain with her today,” said Assistant District Attorney Ashley Snow of the Domestic Violence Unit.

The sentencing: Prosecutors asked for 15 years in prison. Ellis’s defense asked for five. Superior Court Judge Shannon Wallace sentenced him to 12 years and denied a defense request to sentence Ellis under Georgia’s First Offender Act, which can allow some defendants to avoid a permanent conviction record.

Conditions after prison: When Ellis is released, he must have no contact of any kind with the victim, complete a family violence intervention program, undergo mental health and substance abuse evaluation and treatment, and give up all weapons.

District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said, “This case is a stark reminder that domestic violence is rooted in power and control. When victims attempt to leave an abusive relationship, that loss of control can lead to dangerous escalation. Our office remains committed to holding offenders accountable as we stand with those affected by domestic violence.”

If you need help: The Cherokee Family Violence Center runs a 24/7 crisis hotline at (770) 479-1703. More information is available at CFVC.org.