Houston Co. man could be freed after decades serving life sentence. What we know
Jessie James Askew Jr., 52, is one step away from being released from prison after Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards signed a consent order last week to modify his sentence of life without parole.
Askew was convicted of a 1997 armed robbery in Warner Robins where no one was injured, and the former DA Kelly Burke, who prosecuted him, now calls the sentence “unfair.”
FULL STORY: Houston Co. man has ‘extremely rare’ chance of release from life sentence in prison
Here are key takeaways:
• Edwards signed a consent order that would modify Askew’s sentence to time served, resulting in immediate release. A judge must still approve it. This is the first time Edwards has consented to modify a sentence originally prosecuted by a former DA.
• Former DA Kelly Burke, who recommended life without parole in 1998, said he “overreacted” and punished Askew for demanding a jury trial. Askew’s co-defendant faced only 10 years and has since been released because he pleaded guilty.
• Askew has spent 28 years in prison — more than half his life — and has been denied relief by judges and the parole board multiple times since 1999, often representing himself.
• Georgia’s recidivist statutes allowed the maximum sentence because Askew had three prior nonviolent felonies. Edwards said people guilty of more serious crimes seldom face such harsh sentences, noting that 28 years exceeds the mandatory minimum for aggravated child molestation by three years.
• Houston County Superior Court Judge G.E. “Bo” Adams will consider the order. No timeline for his ruling has been set.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 7:00 AM.
