Canton man threatened to burn ex-girlfriend alive if she left him

A 27-year-old Canton man was sentenced to decades in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a domestic dispute where he poured gasoline on himself and threatened to burn his ex-girlfriend alive.

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The Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit announced the sentence for Jesse Logan Ellis, 27, of Canton on Friday.

Ellis entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to aggravated assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and false imprisonment. The charges arose from a Cherokee Sheriff’s Office investigation into a May 13 incident that began when the victim went to Ellis’ home to retrieve her motorcycle helmet.

When the woman attempted to leave, Ellis refused to let her go. She was able to exit the house by asking to use a bathroom located in another building on the property. She then ran to a nearby home, where she asked two acquaintances to accompany her back to retrieve her motorcycle helmet.

When the woman returned with the acquaintances, Ellis told her she could not end the relationship and poured gasoline on himself. He then grabbed her in a bear hug while holding a lighter, threatening to ignite them both. According to the victim and witnesses, Ellis said, “If I can’t have her, no one can.”

The two acquaintances pulled the woman away from Ellis, took the lighter from him and called 911.

“When deputies responded to this domestic dispute, they found the victim on the roadside, crying,” Snow said. “She believed she was facing the possibility of being burned alive. Thanks to her quick thinking and the actions of those who helped her, she escaped a situation that could have ended in tragedy. The emotional scars of that experience remain with her today.”

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During the hearing, the state recommended a 30-year sentence with 15 years served in prison. The defense asked for a 30-year sentence with five years in confinement and requested sentencing under Georgia’s First Offender Act.

A judge sentenced Ellis to 30 years, ordering 12 years to be served in prison followed by 18 years on probation and denied the first-offender request.

Special conditions of Ellis’ probation include no contact of any kind with the victim, mandatory participation in a family violence intervention program, mental health and substance abuse evaluation and treatment and the forfeiture of all weapons.

“This case is a stark reminder that domestic violence is rooted in power and control,” Treadaway said. “When victims attempt to leave an abusive relationship, that loss of control can lead to dangerous escalation. Our office remains committed to holding offenders accountable as we stand with those affected by domestic violence.”

Resources and support for individuals affected by domestic violence are available through the Cherokee Family Violence Center at CFVC.org or by calling its 24/seven crisis hotline at 770-479-1703.

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