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Jonathan Bates, left, was arrested in Georgia more than a year after he skipped a court hearing for allegedly murdering his wife Cynde Bates, right, back in 2017. (Jonathan Bates: Dawson County Sheriff’s Office; Cynde Bates: Facebook)
A Georgia jury this week convicted a man who skipped a court hearing and spent more than a year on the run avoiding charges that he murdered his wife in front of their young children in 2017.
Jonathan Bates was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife Cynde Bates, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB report. He also was convicted of manslaughter, aggravated assault and cruelty to children.
As Law&Crime previously reported, the Dawson Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals Service arrested Bates in April. A bench warrant has been out for Bates’ arrest ever since he failed to show up to a court hearing in October 2022, records show.
Bates is accused of killing his wife Cynde Bates, 28, at their home in Dallas, Georgia, in May 2017. According to his indictment, he allegedly pushed her, causing her to fall and hit her head on a love seat. The incident allegedly happened in front of the couple’s children, ages 4 and 7.
Cynde Bates was later declared brain-dead and died at a hospital, court documents say.
Jonathan Bates allegedly told a police officer that he pushed her when she tried to hug him. She had previously accused him of domestic violence and told family members she was planning to file for divorce.
Cops arrested him, but in June 2017, a judge said there was not enough evidence for the case to move forward on the murder charges and only bound over the case for simple battery. The decision outraged Cynthia Bates’ family members.
“Her kids are lost without her,” Bates’ sister Sandy Dement told Atlanta’s WSB. “Her family is lost without her. We don’t get to talk to her anymore.”
WSB reported the judge had ties to Jonathan Bates’ family. He later recused himself.
A grand jury later indicted Jonathan Bates, reinstating the murder charges. He posted a $16,500 bond, which led to him skipping the October 2022 court hearing. His lawyers claim his wife’s death was an accident.