Man sentenced to 85 years for knife-wielding assault in Cobb County staffing agency

Cobb Superior Court with Cobb County Courier logo

Last Thursday Willie Elbert Kidd Jr. was found guilty by a Cobb County jury of assaulting four women, including stabbing one of the women in the neck and damaging a staffing agency’s office. He was sentenced to 85 years in prison by Cobb County Superior Court Judge Kimberly A Childs, with an additional 20 years to be served before the sentence begins due to a probation violation.

He was convicted of four counts of aggravated assault, one count of false imprisonment, one count of possession of a knife during commission of a felony and one count of criminal damage to property in the second degree.

A public information release from the office of Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady, Jr. described the incident leading to the arrest and conviction as follows:

“On June 20, 2022, Kidd was employed through a staffing agency in Marietta. During that time, an issue arose with his compensation.

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“An angry Kidd went to the agency armed with a hunting knife, kicked in several interior doors and stabbed a female employee in the neck.

“Three other female employees barricaded themselves in the office furthest away from Kidd.

“He broke doors, smashed windows, damaged computers and then fled the scene. Police arrived on scene quickly and Kidd was arrested nearby a short time later.”

During the sentencing, Judge Childs said, “When I sit through a jury trial, I see every single life this has affected. I see the fear on their faces. I see what law enforcement must go through. I see the scar on the victim’s neck. This was a violent episode. I’m doing my part to make sure there are no other victims in Cobb County from this defendant.”

Senior Assistant District Attorney Marty First prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Georgia. Marietta attorney Kenneth Croy represented Kidd at the trial and sentencing.

Booking records in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center indicate that Kidd was homeless at the time of his arrest.

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