In the late evening of Tuesday, February 18, 2020, the life of 29-year-old Julia Taniesha Nicole Malachi of Cartersville, Georgia, was tragically cut short. She was fatally shot at a motel located on Joe Frank Harris Parkway. Witnesses at the scene described the female victim as the mother of two young boys.
The day after the shooting, authorities swiftly identified a suspect and a manhunt ensued.
Tavares Zavoyd Atwell, a 35-year-old Black man from Cartersville with a history of felony convictions, was taken into custody in Doraville, Georgia. Reports from witnesses indicated that Atwell was in a relationship with Malachi. Following his arrest, Atwell was charged with murder with malice under the Family Violence Act, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Tavares Atwell was booked into the Bartow County jail on February 19, 2020. Court records indicate that on August 10, 2021, Atwell was convicted of the murder of Julia Malachi. He was also convicted on the charges of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
