The life of Zachary Tyler Castellow, a 25-year-old White male, was cut short on the evening of September 12, 2022, in Columbus, Georgia. He was found with fatal gunshot wounds outside a residence on Forestside Drive. The Muscogee County Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene at 7:00 p.m. His death marked the 32nd homicide in the city that year.
The shooting took place in the front yard of Castellow's home.
Inside the house at the time were his girlfriend and her children, who were also the children of the man later identified as the suspect. According to family, five shots were fired into the home during the incident. The family also shared that one of the children witnessed Castellow being shot as he walked toward his house. At the time of his death, Castellow and his girlfriend had just learned that they were expecting a child together.
The Columbus Police Department launched a homicide investigation and quickly identified 25-year-old Jonathan Thompson as the suspect. Later that same evening, Thompson turned himself in to authorities at police headquarters. He was arrested and charged in connection with Zachary Castellow's death.
Thompson stood trial in Muscogee County on six charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree. During the trial, Thompson’s attorney argued that his client had acted in self-defense.
After deliberating for a day, the jury reached its decision in November 2025. They found Jonathan Thompson not guilty on all charges. With the acquittal, the legal proceedings in the death of Zachary Castellow came to a close.
