The boyfriend of an Oakwood woman found Wednesday, Sept. 15, stabbed multiple times with a kitchen knife has been charged with malice murder, police said Friday.

Emmanuel Kevin Harris Jr., 31, of Oakwood, was arrested Friday, Sept.17, and charged in the death of Jordan Gooch, 27. 

Officers arrived at the home on Walden Way in Oakwood about 12:49 p.m. Wednesday in response to an apparent cardiac arrest, Oakwood Police Chief Tim Hatch said. Gooch had been found unconscious and not breathing by her sister, who then called 911, Hatch said. 

Police began looking for Harris after assessing the crime scene, as Harris lived with Gooch, Hatch said. Hatch also noted that Gooch’s car was missing.

Harris was found Wednesday at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center intensive care unit in Gainesville, having been taken there after a wreck around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, in Jackson County.

Sedated, unconscious and on a breathing tube, Harris was initially unable to talk to police regarding Gooch’s death, Hatch said.

Hatch said Harris was in possession of a firearm at the time of the crash, and since Harris is a convicted felon, a warrant was obtained for his arrest on a probation violation.

Harris regained consciousness Thursday, Sept. 16, and he was taken to the Hall County Jail, Hatch said.

The police chief said investigators developed probable cause Friday, Sept. 17, to charge Harris with murder, aggravated assault and a string of weapons charges.

Harris was previously charged with raped in Braselton in 2017. The rape charge was dismissed in 2018 when Harris took a negotiated plea deal under the First Offender Act, according to court documents. He was given a sentence of 10 years, with the first two years in custody and ordered to provide verification of evaluation and/or treatment for anger management.