In the quiet community of Flowery Branch, Georgia, a tragic story unfolded in March of 2021, forever altering the lives of one family. Mary Lindsay, a 39-year-old mother, was found deceased in her home alongside her 15-year-old son, Atif Muhammad Jr. The grim discovery was made on March 26, 2021, after one of Mary's friends became concerned, having not heard from her for several days.
This friend contacted Mary's eldest daughter, who then went to the residence to check on her mother.
Upon arriving at the house, the 19-year-old daughter and her 15-year-old sister, who was Atif's twin, found the home locked. The eldest daughter was forced to crawl through a window to gain entry. Inside, she found her 8-year-old brother asleep in a bedroom, thankfully unharmed but tragically unaware of the events that had transpired. The true horror was discovered when the daughters found a locked bedroom door. Behind it lay the bodies of their mother and brother. They had both been shot and killed.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly focused on Mary Lindsay's live-in boyfriend, William Jerome Adams, who was 29 at the time. Evidence presented during the subsequent trial painted a disturbing picture of a controlling and abusive relationship. Ten days before the murders, Mary's children had found a 9mm handgun in the home, which she confirmed belonged to Adams. Prosecutors also presented a photo that Mary had emailed to herself, documenting an arm injury she had reportedly sustained from him. After the killings, Adams locked the bedroom where the victims lay and fled. Investigators determined that Mary and Atif were likely killed on March 24, meaning the young 8-year-old boy had been alone in the house with his deceased mother and brother for two days.
Adams' attempt to escape justice was swift but ultimately unsuccessful. He was apprehended at the Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, where he was trying to cross using an assumed name and without a passport. It was also discovered that he had taken $2,000 from Mary Lindsay's bank account. Following his arrest, he was extradited back to Georgia to face charges. In August 2025, a Gwinnett County jury found William Jerome Adams guilty on two counts of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would spend the rest of his life in prison for the brutal murders of a mother and her teenage son.
