As a result of a plea deal on Feb. 20, Chelci Chisholm was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the brutal bludgeoning of popular Jewish Zumba instructor Marlene D. Colon in 2021.
The sentence included 20 years for voluntary manslaughter and five years each for two counts of obstruction of justice for struggling with Sandy Springs police when she was apprehended.
The Israeli-born Chisholm, also known as Malka Padalon, had been renting space in Colon’s home for a matter of weeks before the murder. In her statement in accepting the plea deal, Chisholm acknowledged that Colon had been good to her.
According to Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Lee, the sentence stated that Chisholm would serve the first 18 years in prison with the balance suspended. “What portion of the sentence she actually serves will be up to the parole board. The current guidelines state that she has to serve between 64 to 90 percent of her sentence before she is considered for parole,” Lee said.
Colon’s two sons, Loren and Jonathan, said the family is satisfied with the plea deal. “We didn’t want to go through a trial, although we were prepared to,” said Jonathan. “We’re ready to close this chapter. We’re never going to get complete closure.”
In his witness statement, Jonathan noted that “this traumatic horrific event is truly something we will never get over and we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.”
In another witness statement, Loren’s wife, Marieli, also noted that “the trauma Chelci has left in our lives is a life sentence for us.” She described her late mother-in-law as “dynamic and full of energy. Ironically and most tragically, it was her kindness and overly generous nature that would lead to her death.”
Marieli brought family members and friends to tears when she said, “I stand before you today, a broken person, who lost every sense of normality. A person who grieves the loss of Marlene, not only for myself, but mostly for my husband and my children.”
She said Colon’s murder had cast a pall over her daughter, Julianne’s Bat Mitzvah, last September and would miss her grandson Matthew’s graduation this May.
For her Bat Mitzvah project, Julianne paid tribute to her grandmother’s generosity by filling 20 backpacks with blankets, stuffed animals, toys, crayons, and Play-Doh. The backpacks, dubbed “Nana’s Bags,” were donated to the Sandy Springs Police Department to give to other children experiencing a traumatic event.
In a Facebook post, the police department commended her for the gifts. “Julie chose a project that will help children going through hard times, while at the same time, honoring her grandmother,” the statement said.
Loren said Chisholm’s public defender said that after she is released from prison, she might want to return to Israel. When asked if that would be possible, Lee responded, “There’s nothing stopping Ms. Chisholm from going back to Israel if she so desires.”