Topline: The man accused of killing three people in separate Atlanta-area attacks, including a DHS employee, was found dead in his DeKalb County jail cell Tuesday evening.
Published: April 23, 2026 7:00 am ET
Randy Shaw
I cut my teeth in journalism when I began looking into what I saw as abuses of power in my local government. From then on, I was hooked on the dopamine rush of uncovering information.
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Olaolukitan Adon Abel (via DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)
DEKALB COUNTY, GA — Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, was found unresponsive in his jail cell shortly after 6:48 p.m. Tuesday and was pronounced dead at 7:17 p.m. after detention staff alerted medical personnel and began life-saving measures, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said there was no indication of criminal activity or foul play in the jail death and that an internal investigation has been opened to determine the circumstances. Abel, who officials said was originally from the United Kingdom and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2022, had been accused of killing three people in separate attacks across the Atlanta area on April 13.
According to reports cited by WPXI, authorities alleged Abel paid a homeless man to buy him a gun and then used that weapon to fatally attack Prianna Weathers, 31, Tony Matthews, 48, and Lauren Bullis, 40.
Investigators said Weathers, a mother of a preteen, was shot around 1 a.m. outside a Checkers restaurant on Wesley Chapel Road near Decatur. About an hour later, police said Abel drove to Brookhaven and shot Matthews while he was sleeping on the ground outside a Kroger supermarket in a shopping plaza. Matthews, a father, survived for six days in the hospital before dying on April 19.
Authorities said Abel then attacked Bullis between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in Panthersville, south of Decatur, shooting and stabbing her while she was walking her dog. Bullis worked for the Department of Homeland Security and died from her injuries shortly after the attack.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Atlanta-Area Triple Murder Suspect Dies in Dekalb County Jail Cell
The man accused of killing three people in separate Atlanta-area attacks, including a DHS employee, was found dead in his DeKalb County jail cell Tuesday evening.
By Randy Shaw
Published: April 23, 2026 7:00 am ET
Olaolukitan Adon Abel (via DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)
DEKALB COUNTY, GA — Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, was found unresponsive in his jail cell shortly after 6:48 p.m. Tuesday and was pronounced dead at 7:17 p.m. after detention staff alerted medical personnel and began life-saving measures, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said there was no indication of criminal activity or foul play in the jail death and that an internal investigation has been opened to determine the circumstances. Abel, who officials said was originally from the United Kingdom and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2022, had been accused of killing three people in separate attacks across the Atlanta area on April 13.
According to reports cited by WPXI, authorities alleged Abel paid a homeless man to buy him a gun and then used that weapon to fatally attack Prianna Weathers, 31, Tony Matthews, 48, and Lauren Bullis, 40.
Investigators said Weathers, a mother of a preteen, was shot around 1 a.m. outside a Checkers restaurant on Wesley Chapel Road near Decatur. About an hour later, police said Abel drove to Brookhaven and shot Matthews while he was sleeping on the ground outside a Kroger supermarket in a shopping plaza. Matthews, a father, survived for six days in the hospital before dying on April 19.
Authorities said Abel then attacked Bullis between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in Panthersville, south of Decatur, shooting and stabbing her while she was walking her dog. Bullis worked for the Department of Homeland Security and died from her injuries shortly after the attack.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Atlanta-Area Triple Murder Suspect Dies in Dekalb County Jail Cell
The man accused of killing three people in separate Atlanta-area attacks, including a DHS employee, was found dead in his DeKalb County jail cell Tuesday evening.
By Randy Shaw
Published: April 23, 2026 7:00 am ET
Olaolukitan Adon Abel (via DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)
DEKALB COUNTY, GA — Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, was found unresponsive in his jail cell shortly after 6:48 p.m. Tuesday and was pronounced dead at 7:17 p.m. after detention staff alerted medical personnel and began life-saving measures, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said there was no indication of criminal activity or foul play in the jail death and that an internal investigation has been opened to determine the circumstances. Abel, who officials said was originally from the United Kingdom and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2022, had been accused of killing three people in separate attacks across the Atlanta area on April 13.
According to reports cited by WPXI, authorities alleged Abel paid a homeless man to buy him a gun and then used that weapon to fatally attack Prianna Weathers, 31, Tony Matthews, 48, and Lauren Bullis, 40.
Investigators said Weathers, a mother of a preteen, was shot around 1 a.m. outside a Checkers restaurant on Wesley Chapel Road near Decatur. About an hour later, police said Abel drove to Brookhaven and shot Matthews while he was sleeping on the ground outside a Kroger supermarket in a shopping plaza. Matthews, a father, survived for six days in the hospital before dying on April 19.
Authorities said Abel then attacked Bullis between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. in Panthersville, south of Decatur, shooting and stabbing her while she was walking her dog. Bullis worked for the Department of Homeland Security and died from her injuries shortly after the attack.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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