Augusta mom stabbed several times by father of her kids, deputies say

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A man was arrested after going into a rage and stabbing the mother of his children several times in front of the kids, according to deputies.

And, as with the case of local mom Common Schultz, who deputies say was shot dead by her husband, it wasn’t the first time the suspect was accused of violence against her.

The stabbing was reported around 1 a.m. March 19 in the 3000 block of Bermuda Circle West. When deputies were called there, they heard yelling from inside the house, but no one answered the door.

A man identified as William Draper, 47, walked out of the garage and refused to give deputies any information, they said.

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But deputies saw a blood trail, so they followed it.

It led them to a woman covered in blood with multiple stab wounds and hiding with her children, according to authorities. She had stab wounds to the back of the neck, the face, throat and side, according to authorities.

The victim told deputies Draper was no longer living at the residence, but she let him stay due to his injured foot.

She said Draper got angry at her for going out with her family and reacted badly to statements that the victim didn’t want to get back together with him, according to deputies.

The stabbing began in the bedroom, and the victim managed to run to one of the children’s rooms to shut and lock the door, deputies said. Draper kicked open the door and stabbed her again, according to deputies.

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The victim had to undergo surgery due to the stab wound in her side.

Draper was treated for minor lacerations to his hand and chest.

Draper was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, possession of a knife during a crime and three counts of cruelty to children in the first degree, according to authorities. He remained in Richmond County jail on Monday.

Suspect’s previous problems

According to court documents, the victim Erica Salters had applied for a protective order from him back in 2016, citing a Family Violence Act petition.

She said he bit and hit her in front of the kids.

The temporary order was approved but dropped because of “preponderance of evidence.”

On her application for the order, she claims she showed bruises to responding deputies.

In that report, she also references a 2013 attack where she claims Draper hit her in the face, “causing a black eye and minor jaw fracture.” She says it happened in Kennesaw and police responded, but she wasn’t given a report.

In 2017, he was convicted of aggravated assault against the same victim.

According to the indictment, he tried to strangle her. He negotiated a plea deal of guilty to aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the third degree.

He was sentenced under the First Offender Act.

According to court documents, he was sentenced to 10 years with the first three years to be served behind bars.

He was then put on probation until 2020.