Family members of Tonya Sims thought she had gotten herself out of a long relationship marked by domestic violence.
She hadn't, and police said it cost Ms. Sims her life Saturday.
"She came to her mother's house to get away from him. She had left him," her sister, Shelia Chapman, said. "Then for him to come here and do that to her, it's just wrong. She tried to leave."
Ms. Sims, 33, was found dead early Saturday in the front yard of her Wrightsboro Road home, shot multiple times. The body of her estranged common-law husband, Johnnie Lee Lewis, 33, of Hale Street, was also found on the front yard, with a gunshot wound to the head.
Authorities are calling the shootings a murder-suicide. It is the second such incident this year.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, officers were called to a double shooting in the 1400 block of Wrightsboro Road about 2 a.m. and found the bodies in the front yard of the duplex.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Richmond County Chief Deputy Coroner Mark Bowen said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab will conduct an autopsy.
According to the sheriff's office, Mr. Lewis took a cab to Ms. Sims' home. The two argued and it became physical. Mr. Lewis drew a handgun and shot Ms. Sims and then himself.
Mr. Lewis and Ms. Sims had been together 17 years and have six children, investigators said. The children range in ages from 5 to 16, said Barbara Ann Gresham, Ms. Sims' aunt. One of the children saw the shooting, she added.
The couple had a history of domestic violence complaints.
Mr. Lewis had been arrested five times since 1997 for assaults on Ms. Sims. Ms. Sims was arrested once in 2004 for stabbing Mr. Lewis in the shoulder.
Despite what was going on, Ms. Sims would never let it show, Ms. Gresham said.
"She kept you laughing. She always had a smile on her face," she said of her niece.
Ms. Sim's eldest daughter, Shantoria Sims, 16, said she was still in shock over her mother's death.
"I'm her first child, and I know she was just a nice person," she said with tears in her eyes. "She just didn't deserve this."
The six children will be split up between Ms. Sims' two sisters and two brothers, said her sister Carolyn Chapman. The family has decided to raise her children, but have concerns about how they will take care of Ms. Sims' funeral.
"My sister didn't have any insurance, so we don't know what we're going to do," Ms. Chapman said. "We're still sorting it out, but we'll make it."
Staff writer Stephanie Toone contributed to this article.
Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010. All Rights Reserved.
Back 
I don't trust any grown man that does his hair like Mr. Lewis.
Our prayers and condolences goes out to the family and especially the children.
Such a said story. My prayers go out to the kids and the family. Especially for the child that saw it happen.
What a sad ending. My heart and prayers go out to this family. May they look to the Lord and find the Peace that Passes all Understanding.
Senseless and what did it accomplish-Nothing
So is not having any insurance or money or life planning and just asking and expecting others to donate and support you the new hip thing?
Common law for 17 years but lived apart all that time--still managed 6 kids--all on the govn't dole--sweet!
As a society with false compassion, we contributed to these deaths. That we help people in need is a fine thing, but when we started to pass out cash instead of food, we enticed them to never find a solution, on their own, for their problems. I remember when welfare meant going to the county for flour, baking powder, powder milk, and canned goods. If you needed financial help, a check was made out to the institution, but no one ever received money. And the result of that system was very few unwed mothers, mainly two parent families and most people went to work quickly to get out of a rut. Then we decided it was more cost effective and profitable for grocery stores and landlords to finance families. As a result of our efforts we generated a class of people who refuse to work, have babies like a factory and even consider it a career to remain on welfare for life. And because we refuse to take a strong stance to stop it, it is creating new generations with even more demands.
Darn Diss, I like your post!!!! I must be coming down with something!
I totally agree also dissman. It's out of control with no end in sight.
Liberals will have no part of shutting welfare down and trimming their next generation voter rolls.
This conversation about welfare if all fine and dandy but what does it have to do with Ms. Sims' death?
The Ode.... please shut up. I don't believe they asked for handouts any where in this article. As a matter of fact, I do believe they said they'll make it. One of your family members are going to end up in this paper under tragic circumstances one day and I hope the rest of Augusta treats you with as much, or should I say as little respect as you tend to treat others with.
I read these post quite often and no matter what the situation, the racists always has a negative comment. Can you ever find anything good to say.When it happens to a white person, theres always some sympathetic bull----. There are a lot of white people on the dole. I work in the school system and I know it to be true.