Angela Montgomery is the Savannah, Georgia woman who shot 23-year-old Gabrielle “Gabby” Rodgers and kidnapped her six-week-old twin sons on May 11, 2021. In November 2023, a jury found her guilty but mentally ill on four charges, and she was sentenced to 30 years in prison followed by life on probation.1WSAV. Local Woman Convicted, Sentenced in Shooting of Mother and Kidnapping Her Twin Babies
The Shooting and Abduction
Savannah police responded on the morning of May 11, 2021 to a home in the 1500 block of Northeast 36th Street, where they found Rodgers with critical gunshot wounds. Investigators said she had been shot multiple times in the head and chest.2People. Georgia Woman Allegedly Shot New Mom, Kidnapped Twins Montgomery, then 23, had fled the scene in a white sedan with the twins, Matteo and Lorenzo Rodgers.3Savannah Police Department. Female Suspect Charged in Shooting of Woman, Abduction of 2 Infants
Detectives later determined that Montgomery had befriended Rodgers through a Facebook group for new mothers, posing as a new mother herself. They believe she used that online relationship to gain access to Rodgers and her babies.1WSAV. Local Woman Convicted, Sentenced in Shooting of Mother and Kidnapping Her Twin Babies
How the Twins Were Recovered
Tips called in to 911 led Savannah Police to a residence on St. Andrews Road in the Lost Plantation neighborhood of Rincon, Georgia. At about 2:30 p.m. the same day, SPD detectives and SWAT officers, working with the Rincon Police Department and the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Montgomery at the home. The twins were found unharmed inside and were taken to a hospital for evaluation as a precaution.3Savannah Police Department. Female Suspect Charged in Shooting of Woman, Abduction of 2 Infants
Rodgers survived. She remained hospitalized as of mid-May 2021.4WTOC. GoFundMe Accounts Set Up for Savannah Mother Shot, Infants Kidnapped
Charges, Verdict, and Sentence
Montgomery was initially charged with aggravated assault and two counts of kidnapping.3Savannah Police Department. Female Suspect Charged in Shooting of Woman, Abduction of 2 Infants A grand jury later indicted her on attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, and use of a firearm while committing a felony.5WTOC. Woman Charged With Kidnapping Twins, Shooting Mother Indicted by Grand Jury She was held without bond throughout the case.
On November 7, 2023, a jury found Montgomery guilty but mentally ill on four counts: criminal attempt to commit murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of kidnapping. The firearm possession charge was dropped.6WTOC. Woman Charged With Kidnapping Twins, Shooting Mother Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison The court sentenced her to 30 years in prison followed by life on probation.1WSAV. Local Woman Convicted, Sentenced in Shooting of Mother and Kidnapping Her Twin Babies
What Guilty but Mentally Ill Means for Her Sentence
A guilty-but-mentally-ill verdict is not the same as not guilty by reason of insanity. Under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 17-7-131), a jury may return this verdict when it finds beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime and was mentally ill at the time. The defendant is sentenced the same way as someone found simply guilty.7Justia. O.C.G.A. § 17-7-131
The difference lies in treatment. A person found guilty but mentally ill is placed in the custody of the Georgia Department of Corrections, which is responsible for evaluating and providing mental health treatment. The Department can transfer the person to a facility operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities for temporary hospitalization while keeping legal custody. A person found not guilty by reason of insanity, by contrast, is not convicted; the court orders evaluation at a state mental health facility, and if commitment criteria are met, the person is committed for involuntary treatment rather than sent to prison.7Justia. O.C.G.A. § 17-7-131
For Montgomery, that means she is serving her 30-year sentence in the custody of the Georgia Department of Corrections, which bears the obligation to address her mental health needs during incarceration.