Athens man Phillip Scruggs gets life in prison for setting girlfriend on fire

An Athens man will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing his girlfriend by setting her on fire nearly two years ago, the Athens Banner-Herald has reported.

Phillip Scruggs received the maximum sentence of life without parole after a jury found him guilty of murdering Elissa Denise ”Lisa Davenport, the Banner-Herald said.

Clarke County Superior Court Judge Steve Jones Tuesday afteoon.

Scruggs doused Davenport with a flammable liquid and set her on fire inside her apartment at Bethel Midtown Village on Aug. 18, 2009, the Banner-Herald said. The 42-year-old single mother with three grandchildren died 12 days later, having suffered bus on about 60 percent of her body, the newspaper said..

After a week-long trial, jurors found Scruggs guilty of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, aggravated assault with intent to commit murder, first-degree arson and aggravated assault, according to the Banner-Herald.