A Dougherty County jury convicted Jenna Colley on all counts in February 2026 for the March 2024 stabbing death of her boyfriend, Ken Covin, but the Jenna Colley trial has not yet ended: her sentencing has been postponed while her defense attorney asks the court to apply Georgia’s newly enacted Survivor Justice Act to reduce her punishment.
The jury deliberated roughly one hour before returning guilty verdicts on felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault with family violence, and possession of a cutting tool during the commission of a crime.1WALB. Jury Expected to Begin Deliberations in Dougherty County Murder Trial
The Stabbing on Colley Avenue
Dougherty County police were called to 805 Colley Avenue around 6:45 a.m. on Sunday, March 17, 2024. Officers found 37-year-old Kenauwkee “Ken” Covin dead of stab wounds.2Albany Herald. Dougherty County Woman Charged With Murder in Sunday Morning Slaying According to District Attorney Greg Edwards, Colley had come to Covin’s home and demanded to be let in; after he relented, a verbal argument escalated. A responding paramedic found Covin unresponsive, surrounded by blood and kitchen knives.3WALB. Testimony Underway in Trial of Dougherty County Woman Accused of Killing Ex-Boyfriend
Colley, then 30, was treated for injuries, released, and booked into the Dougherty County Jail on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault with family violence, and possession of a cutting tool during the commission of a crime. She also had a prior active battery-family violence case from May 2023.4WALB. Family Remembers Man Killed in Albany Sunday Morning Homicide
How the Trial Played Out
Testimony opened February 17, 2026, in Dougherty County Superior Court before Chief Judge Denise Marshall.5WALB. Trial Begins for Dougherty County Woman Accused of Stabbing Boyfriend in 2024 Domestic Dispute District Attorney Greg Edwards prosecuted the case; attorney Benjamin Davis represented Colley.
The Prosecution
Edwards argued that the physical evidence contradicted Colley’s account. He told jurors the couple was standing when the stabbing occurred, citing wound patterns on Covin’s hip and a bruise on his face consistent with a fall. He also emphasized the lack of blood on the shirt Colley said she had been wearing, arguing that a woman pinned beneath a bleeding man should have been soaked.6WALB. Closing Arguments Begin in Trial of Dougherty County Woman Accused of Killing Boyfriend A Georgia Bureau of Investigation medical examiner testified that Covin died from a severe chest wound that penetrated his lung, and identified defensive wounds on his hands and possibly his left forearm.7WALB. Day 4 Murder Trial Continues for Dougherty County Woman Accused in Ex-Boyfriend’s Death
The Self-Defense Claim
Davis invoked Georgia’s Stand Your Ground statute. Colley said Covin had been on top of her, choking and punching her, and that she stabbed him to get him off.6WALB. Closing Arguments Begin in Trial of Dougherty County Woman Accused of Killing Boyfriend An emergency room doctor at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital testified that Colley had mild superficial abrasions and a cut lip, though no injuries requiring stitches or surgical closure. Discharge paperwork described the injuries as “due to a physical assault.”7WALB. Day 4 Murder Trial Continues for Dougherty County Woman Accused in Ex-Boyfriend’s Death Davis pointed to a roughly 50-pound weight difference between Covin and Colley and, in closing, told jurors: “You don’t have to wait for somebody to take your life.”1WALB. Jury Expected to Begin Deliberations in Dougherty County Murder Trial
The Verdict
Both sides rested on February 19, 2026. Jurors began deliberating at 1:35 p.m. on February 23 and returned guilty verdicts on all four counts about an hour later, at roughly 2:40 p.m.1WALB. Jury Expected to Begin Deliberations in Dougherty County Murder Trial
A History of Domestic Calls
Evidence at trial showed that police had responded to domestic calls involving Colley and Covin over roughly a decade, going back to 2014. Jurors heard a 911 call Covin placed on February 15, 2023, reporting that Colley had broken a window at his home. On the recording, Covin told the dispatcher he did not want a confrontation and did not want Colley to get in trouble; he just wanted her to leave.3WALB. Testimony Underway in Trial of Dougherty County Woman Accused of Killing Ex-Boyfriend Colley and Covin shared two of his eight children and were living together when he died.4WALB. Family Remembers Man Killed in Albany Sunday Morning Homicide
Sentencing on Hold Over the Survivor Justice Act
A murder conviction in Georgia carries a mandatory sentence of death, life without parole, or life imprisonment.8Justia. Georgia Code § 16-5-1 – Murder; Felony Murder Colley’s sentencing was set for April 4, 2026, but Judge Marshall continued the hearing after Davis asked her to apply Georgia’s Survivor Justice Act.9WALB. Sentencing for Dougherty County Woman Convicted of Murdering Her Boyfriend Continued
The Survivor Justice Act (HB 582) was signed by Governor Brian Kemp in May 2025 and took effect July 1, 2025.10Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Georgia Survivor Justice Act It requires sentencing courts to consider a defendant’s history of domestic abuse and creates a reduced sentencing framework when the defendant can show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that abuse was a “significant contributing factor” to the offense. For crimes otherwise punishable by life, the act allows a sentence of 10 to 30 years, with potential parole or early-release eligibility.11Georgia Justice Project. Survivor Justice Act Legal Change Summary
Edwards has publicly opposed applying the act to Colley, telling WALB he does not feel it would be appropriate.9WALB. Sentencing for Dougherty County Woman Convicted of Murdering Her Boyfriend Continued As of April 2026, a court reporter was preparing trial transcripts for the defense to use at the eventual sentencing hearing, and no new date had been set.