An Atlanta, Georgia man was accused of mudering three people including his wife and her 12-year-old daughter. According to Atlanta Police they suspect Joseph Leonardo Smith, 32, killed a woman at Wellesley Inn on Virginia Avenue.
While Atlanta Police Swat team were at the home of the accused attempting to get him to surrender, East Point Police discovered the body of Lovett Wallace at the Wellesley Inn, which police believed was connected to the crime spree. Sources have told the authorities that they believe the strangled and deceased woman found in the hotel room was a mistress of Smith.
Smith eventually turned himself in, when police then found the bodies of Shatikey Griffin, 34, and her daughter Demiya Griffin, 12, inside the home.
Police were successful in convincing Smith to surrender
After Smith suspected of killing the two women in the home, he called Ashley Jackson, 29 the mother of his 14-year-old daughter, in a desperate plea to see his daughter before he turned himself in.
According to Jackson he said “He had messed up. He said he did some crazy stuff,” “And he wanted to see his daughter before he went to prison.”
For the death of his wife and step daughter, Smith is charged with two counts of felony murder, aggravated assult rape, and false imprisonment.
Also, in the death of his mistress, Smith will be charged with muder and aggravated assult.
The principal of KIPP Ways Academy, the school Demiya Griffin attended released a statement:
“This is a tragic loss to the KIPP WAYS Academy Team & Family,” said KIPP WAYS Academy principal Dwight Ho-Sang. “Demiya was an incredibly sweet young girl who consistently demonstrated the school’s values and was a great teammate. As an honor roll student who loved theater, Demiya had a very bright future ahead of her. We will miss her warm smile and bubbly personality.”
The school has made plans to hold a vigil Monday evening. What lead to these murders are still unclear.
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