Michael C. Clay faces 35 years in prison after being convicted of assault charges Tuesday. Soon he will face trial in Richmond County Superior Court for multiple counts that include rape and aggravated sodomy and one count of murder.
Mr. Clay, 26, of the 1900 block of Lionel Street, stood trial this week for beating his pregnant girlfriend, Kimberly Wright, with his fist and running over high school student David Barnes on his way to the bus stop.
The jury deliberated about 2.5 hours before convicting Mr. Clay of aggravated assault and serious injury by vehicle.
Because of a prior drug conviction, Mr. Clay faces the maximum sentence for each crime, but the judge can sentence him to probation for some or all of the time. A sentencing date has not been set.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're not here about a Valentine's Day gone bad," District Attorney Ashley Wright said to the jury in closing arguments.
Mr. Clay told investigators that things got ugly with Ms. Wright, who isn't related to the district attorney, when he left her the night of Feb. 14, 2006, to spend time with another girlfriend.
Ms. Wright told the jury Monday that Mr. Clay punched her repeatedly, kicked her and at one point tried to wrap plastic over her head to smother her. He fractured her jaw in three places and broke several teeth.
She said the violence continued when Mr. Clay was supposedly driving her to the hospital and ran over Mr. Barnes, who was crossing East Boundary Street.
Defense attorney Peter Johnson asked the jury to find Mr. Clay guilty of battery and hit and run, both misdemeanors.
Mr. Clay still faces charges filed against him over attacks on five women in May, June and July 2000 and in January 2006.
One of those women, Sherry Rose Murphy, 43, died Oct. 13, 2006, eight months after she was attacked and left in a coma.
Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Michael C. Clay still faces charges of murder, rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated assault, robbery and aggravated sexual battery and will stand trial at a later date.

