Macon man pleads guilty to murder, rape, necrophilia charges, sentenced to life in prison
Editor’s note: Warning, this story contains graphic content. The name of the victim continues to be withheld due to the nature of the crime.
A Macon man pleaded guilty to charges of murder, rape and necrophilia late last month, the day his trial was set to begin.
Kenny Obyran Whitehead, 58, was accused of following a 49-year-old woman to the steps of the Daybreak Day Resource Center on Walnut Street and violently attacking her on May 17, 2020.
The woman was homeless and she reportedly felt safer sleeping on the steps of the ministry due to its security cameras, according to the Bibb District Attorney’s office.
During the struggle, the woman was asphyxiated. She was sexually assaulted by Whithead both before and after her death, according to a release from the DAs office.
Bibb County Sheriff’s deputies caught Whitehead actively sexually assaulting the woman’s body, according to the DA, and he was immediately arrested. DNA evidence also definitely identified Whitehead as the women’s assailant, the DA said.
He was sentenced to life in prison after his plea on June 26. Whitehead will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 30 years in prison.
“This is a tragic case, illuminating the risks of people who are unhoused,” Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney Anita Howard said. “Thanks to the Bibb County Sheriff’s deputies and the prosecution team on this case, Mr. Whitehead won’t be on the streets hurting anyone again.”
This story was originally published July 18, 2023 at 10:12 AM.
