Nurse fatally shot wife of 59 days because she was 'nagging' him about his drinking

A Georgia antheral who fatally changeable his wife little than 2 months aft they got joined volition walk the remainder of his beingness successful prison.

Benjamin Whitaker, a erstwhile infirmary nurse, was recovered blameworthy of felony murder, malice murder, and 2 counts of aggravated battle by a assemblage successful March, and connected Wednesday, helium learned his fate. After Whitaker's sentencing was moved up from its archetypal day successful May, a justice sentenced Whitaker to life successful situation without parole successful transportation with the fatal shooting of his wife, 25-year-old Tiffani Scarborough.

According to courtroom reporting by section CBS affiliate WMAZ, the mates had lone been joined for 59 days erstwhile Whitaker fired 5 shots astatine Scarborough past fled the location they shared successful Dublin, Georgia.

Local quality outlet The Courier Herald was in the courtroom for Whitaker's archetypal trial past year, erstwhile details astir Whitaker's apprehension were presented. According to The Courier Herald, Whitaker and Scarborough got joined connected May 1, 2021, aft they dated for astir a year. Both of them worked arsenic nurses. Whitaker was a registered caregiver astatine Fairview Park Hospital and Scarborough was a caregiver astatine a section OB/GYN office. Scarborough had a young son, and she and the lad moved into Whitaker's location aft they got married.

Less than 2 months aft their wedding, connected June 29, 2021, Scarborough was dead. Two of her co-workers went to her location erstwhile she failed to amusement up for enactment that day. When they looked wrong the house, they saw slug holes successful the backmost door. One of the co-workers called the police, who arrived and recovered Scarborough dormant wrong the house.

Whitaker was recovered the adjacent time successful a wooded country by his parents' location successful a neighboring county. When helium was interviewed by police, helium told them that Scarborough "was chastising maine astir having a mates of drinks. That nagging acceptable maine off." He told constabulary that helium went to their chamber to retrieve a handgun past "I walked into the room and I changeable her." The prosecution said Whitaker changeable Scarborough 5 times.

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Whitaker's defence lawyer told the tribunal that the deadly enactment was "out of quality for him." He said Whitaker was taking Lexapro and Buspar for depression, which helium suffered from aft losing respective patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The defence told the tribunal that the cause operation was "dangerous" and prevented Whitaker from knowing what was close oregon incorrect astatine the clip of the murder.

The 2025 proceedings ended successful a mistrial, and a second trial took spot successful March. The aforesaid constabulary interrogation was presented arsenic evidence, arsenic good arsenic the defense's statement that Whitaker's "serotonin syndrome" caused a atrocious absorption to his medication. In the 2nd trial, the assemblage recovered Whitaker blameworthy aft 3 hours of deliberation.