She Died Saving Her Baby’s Life During a Brutal Attack by The Baby's Father

Jessica Arrendale hid her six-month-old daughter inside the toilet bowl in the bathroom of their third-story home and shielded the opening with her body when her abuser, Antoine Davis, opened fire on her. Jessica died, although Antoine did not see baby Colbie, and took his own life instead.

On September 14, 2014, Jessica Arrendale went out for the evening with her boyfriend, Antoine Davis. During the night, Antoine got drunk and became belligerent, a behavior Jessica’s mother told the media was a regular occurrence.

The couple returned home where Davis’ two older children, Jessica’s older child, and their six-month-old daughter, Colbie, waited for their arrival.

A Violent Night

Antoine’s belligerent behavior turned violent back at the house. He began beating Jessica while she desperately clung to Colbie. Hoping to scare Antoine, she grabbed a metal baseball bat. It was no use; the former Marine was much bigger and stronger than Jessica. He grabbed the bat from her hands and used it to beat her.

Jessica’s heart pounded as she raced to the third floor of their Savannah townhome with Antoine inches behind her. Jessica ran into the bathroom, clutching baby Colbie, and locked the door behind her. She heard Antoine, enraged, shouting behind her.

Antoine came face-to-face with his oldest daughter but said nothing when she asked what he was doing, only staring blankly for several seconds before continuing to pursue Jessica.

At some point during the chase, Antoine retrieved his assault-style rifle. Hearing the commotion outside the bathroom, Jessica swiftly twisted her body around to place Colbie inside the toilet bowl just as the door fell to the ground. Antoine then opened fire, fatally shooting Jessica in the head. Her body fell over the toilet bowl, covering baby Colbie.

Antoine exited the bathroom, walked into the nursery- presumably looking for Colbie- and shot himself dead.

Baby Colbie Survives Hidden Inside Toilet

Police arrived at the home in the early morning hours after receiving a 9-1-1 call reporting a man with a gun inside the house. Officers evacuated neighbors as a precaution and attempted to make contact with Davis. Thirteen hours later, around 1:30 p.m., officers breached the door and found the bodies of Arrendale and Davis. Jessica’s body lay over the toilet bowl, while the older children were unharmed.

Colbie was rushed to a local hospital, where medical staff treated her for hypothermia due to prolonged exposure in the toilet bowl and blunt force trauma to the head, which led officers to suspect she had been struck with the bat. Despite her injuries, Colbie survived and was eventually released into her grandmother’s care.

Domestic Violence: Love is Not Always Enough

Every 10 minutes, someone is abused by their partner. One in three women and one in five men experience domestic violence every single day. Shockingly, over 48,000 people die at the hands of a family member each year.

Like many individuals involved with abusive partners, Jessica stayed with Antoine because she loved him, wanted Colbie to have a father figure, and perhaps believed she could change him. Antoine, a veteran of the Iraq war, may have also suffered from undiagnosed mental illness.

If you are in an abusive relationship, it's crucial to leave. Love alone may not be sufficient, and the hope for change isn't worth risking your life or the lives of your children. As adults, we are accountable for our actions, and mental illness does not excuse harming or mistreating others.

Sources:

https://kdvr.com/news/nationalworld-news/georgia-mother-killed-trying-to-protect-baby-who-survived-13-hours-in-toilet/