A Walker County man has been sentenced to 68 years in prison following his conviction for two violent domestic incidents, including setting a woman on fire and killing a family dog.
Jarvis Jackson, 43, was found guilty in Walker County Superior Court after a bench trial before Judge Christopher Arnt. The verdict stems from two separate criminal episodes that took place in 2024, involving two different women.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Winston Franklin prosecuted the case on behalf of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office. The investigation was led by Detective Robby Tate of the LaFayette Police Department, with support from victim-witness advocates Donna Howell and Brittany Bruce.
First Incident: February 3, 2024
In the first case, prosecutors presented evidence that Jackson brutally assaulted his longtime girlfriend by dousing her in rubbing alcohol and setting her on fire. The attack left the woman temporarily blinded and suffering from severe facial injuries and extensive burns. Despite her condition, she managed to make her way to a neighbor’s home to seek help.
The woman later provided a detailed account of the abuse she had endured over the years and identified Jackson as her attacker. She testified at trial, which the DA’s office described as courageous.
Second Incident: August 18, 2024
Just months after marrying another woman in May 2024, Jackson committed a second violent offense. According to testimony, he woke his wife by spitting on her and accusing her of cheating, then retrieved a pistol and shot her dog while it lay in its bed.
Still armed, Jackson forced the woman into a vehicle and threatened to kill her and her adult son if she contacted authorities. After several hours, the pair returned home, where Jackson forced her to help clean up the blood and dispose of the dog’s bedding. He later fled to Alabama.
The woman reported the incident to LaFayette Police two days later.
Convictions and Sentencing
Jackson was found guilty of multiple charges, including:
Aggravated Assault
Three counts of Aggravated Battery
Aggravated Animal Cruelty
Family Violence Aggravated Assault
Kidnapping
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
He was sentenced on September 24, 2025, to 68 years in the Georgia Department of Corrections.
DA Fuller: “We Fight for Victims”
District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller credited local law enforcement and emphasized his office’s firm stance on violent crime.
“My thanks to LaFayette Chief of Police Stacey Meeks and his team for their relentless work and leadership in fighting for the public safety of our Main Streets,” Fuller said in a statement. “From Charlotte to Seattle, too many soft-on-crime prosecutors would send a defendant like this back onto the streets for fourteen more arrests. Not in Northwest Georgia. We fight for victims, and we put violent criminals away until the 2090s.”
Both victims received continued support from advocates throughout the legal process.
