On the night of Wednesday, January 29, the Georgia police conducted a routine traffic stop and were taken aback to discover a lifeless body occupying the passenger seat of the car. The deceased individual was later identified as 21-year-old Malachi Mitchell. Following an interrogation of the driver, the police released him temporarily, pending the outcome of their investigation.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office shared a news release with Atlanta News First, stating that the police conducted a traffic stop at Thronton Road and Interstate 20. During the stop, they discovered a deceased individual in the vehicle. The Criminal Investigations Division and Crime Scene Unit were called to the scene to conduct a thorough investigation.
The driver, who remains unidentified, was taken to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. He cooperated fully with the authorities during questioning and was subsequently released, pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation. The news release also revealed the name of the deceased individual as 21-year-old Malachi A. Mitchell.
Investigation
Kenya Mitchell, Malachi’s mother, was taken aback when she received the news of her son’s passing. She described him as a highly accomplished young man who was raised in a loving family and had a strong presence in the church community.
Kenya, on the other hand, was astonished by the decision to release the driver after questioning.
“The person who shot and confessed to shooting my son is at home within hours of them finding my son’s body in the car with this young man that was supposed to be purchasing a gun from my son,” she continued. “Do the right thing. Have some integrity about yourself. How can you sleep at night, knowing you took somebody’s baby away from them?”
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has not confirmed if Malachi Mitchell was shot or if the driver of the vehicle confessed to any crime, as reported by Atlanta News First. Additionally, the reason for pulling over the vehicle remains unknown at this time.
The sheriff’s office has increased patrols in response to threats received by the driver’s family following the incident. The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office has made it clear that they will thoroughly review the evidence before making any charging decisions or drawing conclusions.