Ghormley sentenced to a century for attack on wife, grandmother-in-law

A Blount County man, convicted of a brutal attack in which he held a 74-year-old woman hostage with a knife and baseball bat, has been sentenced to spend more than a century behind bars.

Anthony Ghormley, 43, was given an effective sentence adding up to 105 years, and he'd be required to serve the entirety of that sentence before being eligible for parole.

Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood delivered the sentence Thursday morning.

The jury had deliberated for about a day before finding Ghormley guilty of all seven counts against him, which included attempted murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated burglary.

Investigators said Ghormley attacked his then-wife, Karen VanDyke Ghormley, with a baseball bat just a week after they were married. He also attacked VanDyke Ghormley's grandmother, 74-year-old Gaynell Head, and another woman at the home.

Ghormley's wife and Candy Bussey were able to escape the home, but Ghormley held Head hostage at knifepoint for another 8 hours. He finally surrendered.