A Tennessee woman who terrorized two Catoosa County women during a violent home invasion has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, with 16 years to be served following her guilty plea in Superior Court.
Samantha Hyatte, 37, of Dayton, Tennessee, pleaded guilty on February 25 to two counts of first-degree home invasion, aggravated assault, and attempted armed robbery. Melissa Hise, Superior Court Judge of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, imposed the sentence.
The allegations originate from a horrific occurrence on February 24, 2024, when Hyatte forcibly entered the house of a 66-year-old and a 60-year-old woman in Catoosa County around 11 a.m. while they were making lunch. According to authorities, Hyatte barged in through the front door, carrying a large pair of hedge clippers, and demanded their car keys.
Hyatte apparently wielded the clippers in an aggressive manner, opening and shutting them as she approached the women. One of the victims was able to defuse the tension by throwing the keys on the front porch. When Hyatte turned to retrieve them, the lady pushed her out and shut the door, while the other called 911.
Hyatte, who had no known ties to the victims, was seen strolling through the area shortly after the attack, this time armed with a claw hammer. The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Gary Sisk, promptly arrested her.
Deanna Reisman, Chief Assistant District Attorney, prosecuted the case, with Victim Advocate Shelby Armstrong providing victim support.
What they’re saying: “This kind of unprovoked violence has no place in our community,” said District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller in a statement following the sentencing. “You cross that state line from Tennessee thinking you can bring violence into Georgia, you’re gonna find out real quick. I’m grateful to Judge Hise for laying down a hard sentence that tells folks loud and clear: you come here looking for trouble, you’ll find justice waiting.”
