Before the attack in September 2017, Hughey drove his wife to get groceries. At some point, authorities said Hughey began stabbing the woman multiple times in the head and neck with a butcher knife he had taken from their home. The attack left the victim with injuries considered life-threatening.

Witnesses then watched “Hughey drag the victim’s bloodied body across a yard and immediately called 911,” according to the district attorney. Other witnesses went to help the victim before authorities arrived.

Medical personnel were able to provide life-saving aid and the victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

“If not for the kindness of the witnesses, the victim would likely be dead. Instead, she is able to live her life and can finally put this horrific incident behind her,” Senior Assistant District Attorney Ashton Murphy said.

Deputies with the Paulding sheriff’s office said they found a trail of the victim’s blood and the knife used by Hughey at the scene. According to the district attorney’s office, Hughey acted in a “violent manner for seemingly no reason at all.”