Daily Mail: “Former NASCAR driver John Wes Townley, who was shot dead in Georgia over the weekend during a dispute involving his ex-wife, another man and a hatchet, pleaded guilty in a domestic abuse case and was sentenced to probation two years ago, court documents show. Townley, 31, was shot in the chest just before 9pm on Saturday in the 200 block of Morton Avenue in the Five Points area of Athens, Georgia, just days after his marriage to Laura Townley was formally dissolved. Laura Townley, 30, was struck by gunfire and wounded after the man she was with at the time, 32-year-old Zachary Anderson, allegedly opened fire on John Wes Townley, who was said to be brandishing an ax. The incident comes more than two years after the former NASCAR driver was charged with battery-family violence, simple battery and disorderly conduct.”

“According to court records reviewed by DailyMail.com, in August 2019, the NASCAR driver threw his wife, Laura, to the floor, leaving her ‘in reasonable fear of the safety of her life, limb and health.’ Less than three weeks later, Townley agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, and in exchange prosecutors agreed to drop the battery charges against him. Lt Shaun Barnett, an Athens Police Department spokesperson, told DailyMail.com that Anderson has not been arrested or charged with any crime as of Monday afternoon. ‘We are not ruling self-defense out as a possibility,’ Barnett said. The spokesperson stressed that the investigation into the fatal shooting is still ongoing.””