After 28 Years, Victim Sees Justice in Kennesaw Cold Case

Nearly three decades after a Kennesaw woman was brutally assaulted in her own apartment, justice has finally been served. Jerry Lee Pruitt, 66, was sentenced to two life terms by Cobb Superior Court Judge Julie Jacobs for a 1997 rape, a sentence that will run consecutively to one he is already serving in Alabama for another sexual assault.

“This defendant is a predator of the worst kind,” said Cobb District Attorney Sonya Allen. “Rape robs victims of safety, dignity, and peace of mind. Justice was delayed in this case but delivered.”

The victim, who was 27 at the time, faced a terrifying ordeal on October 23, 1997, when Pruitt forced her back into her apartment, assaulted her in her bedroom, and made her clean herself before leaving. At the time, police were unable to identify a suspect, and the case went cold, leaving the victim without closure for years.

“I carried this trauma with me for decades,” the victim said. “Waiting 28 years to see justice has been surreal. I’m beyond thankful for this verdict and ready to turn the page of this chapter in my life. I carry the voices of so many who have not been heard, and I stand for them.”

The breakthrough came in 2018 when the victim’s sexual assault kit was retested as part of a federal initiative to analyze previously untested kits. A DNA profile led investigators to Pruitt, whose crimes spanned multiple states. During the trial, three previous victims testified, revealing a chilling pattern of assaults with eerily similar circumstances.

“This case is a testament to the strength of survivors and the tireless work of law enforcement,” Allen said. “Our office will never stop fighting for victims. Time will not shield predators from accountability.”

For the Kennesaw victim and others affected, the verdict is more than a legal victory — it is a moment of recognition, closure, and affirmation that their voices matter, no matter how much time has passed.