Samantha Hyatte, 37, of Dayton, Tennessee, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with the first 16 to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections, after pleading guilty to multiple charges stemming from a violent home invasion in Catoosa County. The sentencing, handed down by Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Melissa Hise, followed Hyatte’s guilty plea on February 25, 2025, to two counts of Home Invasion in the First Degree, two counts of Aggravated Assault, and Attempted Armed Robbery.

The incident occurred on February 24, 2024, when Hyatte forced her way into the home of two women, ages 66 and 60, while they were preparing lunch. Authorities say Hyatte brandished a large pair of hedge clippers, screaming threats at the women and demanding their car keys. According to court documents, Hyatte approached the women, opening and closing the clippers in a menacing manner. One of the victims managed to throw her car keys onto the porch behind Hyatte. While Hyatte turned to retrieve them, the victim pushed her outside and locked the door, while the other immediately called the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies apprehended Hyatte nearby, wandering in the neighborhood and carrying a claw hammer. She was found without the hedge clippers. Investigators determined that Hyatte did not know the victims and had never been to their residence before. C

hief Assistant District Attorney Deanna Reisman represented the State of Georgia, with Victim Advocate Shelby Armstrong providing support to the victims. The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Gary Sisk, conducted the investigation.

Following the sentencing, District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller issued a stern warning to those considering bringing violence into the community: “We don’t tolerate that kind of unprovoked violence in our community. 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.”