MACON, GA – Leonard Holmes, 34, will spend decades in prison after pleading guilty to killing his girlfriend in a domestic violence incident that left her seven-year-old daughter without a mother, Tanesha Thomas, 38.
Holmes entered his guilty plea Monday, December 1, 2025 in Bibb County Superior Court just as jury selection was set to begin. He was sentenced to 45 years, with the first 20 to be served in the Department of Corrections, for voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The fatal shooting occurred in the early morning hours of July 7, 2021, at Thomas’ home on Macon’s Eastside, where she lived with her young daughter. Holmes, who also resided at the home, had returned from a club and began arguing with Thomas.
Neighbors called 911 after hearing the escalating argument. Holmes then called 911 himself, falsely claiming Thomas had been shot in a drive-by shooting. However, another neighbor contacted police again after witnessing Holmes fire a handgun into the air multiple times.
Holmes held Thomas on the ground, waking her daughter in the next room. When the child came to her mother’s aid, Holmes released Thomas and moved toward his vehicle. Thomas grabbed her 9mm handgun and told Holmes to leave. Armed with a .40 caliber handgun, Holmes refused to leave and continued the confrontation. As Thomas stood on the front porch, Holmes fired a shot that struck her in the torso, killing her as her daughter looked on.
Police recovered evidence at the scene including two 9mm casings matching Thomas’ firearm and multiple shell casings from Holmes’s .40 caliber weapon, with three found in the area where witnesses saw him firing into the air.
Holmes later claimed he acted in self-defense, firing only after Thomas fired at him. This claim could have supported a jury charge of voluntary manslaughter if requested by the defense.
“I’m grateful that by entering a guilty plea, the victim’s young daughter did not have to take the stand and relive this traumatic event,” said District Attorney Anita Howard. “This outcome represents the best possible resolution for Thomas’ family, particularly her young daughter who witnessed this tragedy. In addition, this is the exact type of tragedy that creates hidden victims that are supported by our RISE program. When children experience this type of trauma, they need advanced support from the community to help them heal with the goal of stopping the cycle of violence. That’s exactly what RISE does.” DA Howard is also grateful for the witness participation in this case.
Thomas’ mother expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating her primary concern was protecting her young granddaughter, who now lives with her, from having to testify about the night her mother was killed. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Chief Jeremy B. Johnson and Deputy Chief Taylor S. Wilson
