William Jerome Adams (Gwinnett County Jail).
A Georgia man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend and her teenage son, leaving her 8-year-old son in the house with their bodies.
William Jerome Adams, 29, was convicted of two counts each of murder and aggravated assault for the March 2021 shootings of Mary Lindsay, 39, and 15-year-old Atif Muhammad, Jr. in Flowery Branch, as reported by the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office in a press release on Friday.
The case unfolded on March 26, 2021, when Lindsay’s eldest daughter decided to check in on her mother after several days of silence. She entered the house through a window and found her 8-year-old brother sleeping in their mother’s bedroom. It was there she discovered that Lindsay and Atif had been fatally shot and locked in the bedroom.
Investigations revealed Adams shot both Lindsay and Atif in her bedroom two days earlier. The young boy had unknowingly stayed in the house with the bodies for two days, according to prosecutors.
Authorities found three 9 mm shell casings in the room, which matched nearby ammunition. An arrest warrant was issued for Adams, and shortly after, federal agents in Laredo, Texas, apprehended him at the border. He attempted to cross into Mexico using a false identity and lacked a passport. Prosecutors also noted that Adams had stolen $2,000 from his girlfriend’s account.
Prosecutors presented testimony from Atif’s twin sister, who recounted discovering a 9 mm Luger handgun roughly 10 days before the incident and photographed it. Her mother confirmed it belonged to Adams. The jury additionally heard testimony describing Adams’ “controlling nature and abusive behavior” towards Lindsay, along with a photo depicting an injury on her arm caused by him.
After the verdict a judge sentenced Adams to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“The verdict and sentence are fitting for a defendant who violently took the life of a mother and son and stole from them,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “We mourn with the victims’ family and hope that the outcome of the trial gives them some closure and justice.”
