A former Bartlett resident accused of beating his wife with a fireplace log and texting her bloody photo to his son in September is back in jail.
He reportedly violated a 2.3-mile no-contact zone.
James G. McDaniel, 67, was out on $150,000 bond on the original aggravated assault charge about three weeks ago when prosecutors said he attempted to interact with his estranged wife, Ruth. He reportedly drove past their Bartlett home once and also twice mouthed apologetic words to her in court.
Assistant District Attorney Meghan Fowler sought a $30,000 bond increase for the incidents, but instead the court ordered McDaniel to stay at least 2.3 miles from the home and wear a GPS tracking device to monitor his whereabouts.
The tracker didn’t appear to stop McDaniel. On Dec. 2 he found himself back before Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Mark Ward, Division IX, and was charged with violating that no-contact zone.
He remained in Shelby County Jail as of Tuesday. His defense attorney, Blake Ballin of Memphis, said McDanield will have a Dec. 15 hearing about a possible bond increase. Ballin will instead request a reinstatement of the original $150,000 bond.
Formerly an Oak Road resident in Bartlett, McDaniel now lives in Cordova.
Original violence
In the original incident, Bartlett police found Ruth McDaniel curled into the fetal position on a blood-soaked bed around 2 a.m. Sept. 22. Her entire face and both hands were swollen and bruised, with the most severe damage around her eyes and the left side of her face.
Officers arrived after her stepson flagged them down. He said his dad texted him a photo of her battered face and also texted a confession for the violence.
The police found her still and able to talk in an RV behind the couple’s house. Blood droplets and smears marked the floor, a chair and a nearby garbage can. Around the bed were washcloths and doggie pee pads soaked in blood.
On the patio, officers also found blood and hair evidence on a log near the fire pit and more blood on a patio chair, an iPhone and another piece of wood.
She told officers they were arguing outside when he punched her and then beat her face with a board. She didn’t remember anything after that. She was transported to the Regional One Hospital’s emergency room trauma unit in critical condition.
