A promising life was cut short on a Saturday afternoon in Atlanta, Georgia, when Keithan Joran Hillman, a 40-year-old male, was fatally shot. The incident, which occurred on February 15, 2020, unfolded in broad daylight at his apartment complex in the Buckhead neighborhood. Known to his friends as 'KeJo,' Hillman was a man of considerable achievement, having graduated at the top of his class from Clark Atlanta University with a degree in mechanical engineering.
He applied his skills as a mechanical engineer while also working as a brand consultant.
The events leading to his death began with an argument with another man at his residence on Peachtree Park Drive NE. The dispute escalated, resulting in Hillman being shot multiple times. When Atlanta Police Department officers responded to reports of a person shot shortly after 1 p.m., they found Hillman with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigators quickly identified a suspect in the shooting: 29-year-old Michael Miata, a law student from New York. Witnesses reported that following the altercation and shooting, Miata fled the scene in a Ford sedan bearing California license plates. The investigation swiftly moved beyond state lines as law enforcement tracked the suspect.
A few days later, on February 19, 2020, the New York Police Department's fugitive task force located and arrested Michael Miata in the Queens borough of New York City. He was taken into custody without incident. Authorities in Atlanta announced that Miata faced a charge of felony murder for his alleged involvement in Hillman's death. Following his arrest, the process to extradite him to Georgia to face the charges was initiated. Information regarding the specifics of the argument that led to the fatal shooting or the outcome of the legal proceedings against Michael Miata, including details of a trial or conviction, are not available in the public record.
