In the early hours of a December morning in 2018, the quiet of a Decatur, Georgia, neighborhood was shattered by a brutal act of violence that left two cousins dead. Thirty-six-year-old Robert Collier and his 33-year-old cousin, Michael Wigfall, were discovered shot to death inside Collier's home on Old Lake Drive. The scene that greeted law enforcement painted a grim picture of their final moments; both men had been shot in the head in what police described as an execution-style killing.
The front door of the residence appeared to have been forcibly opened, suggesting a violent entry. One of the men was found near the front door, while the other was located by a sliding glass door.
The devastating news sent shockwaves through their family, who described the cousins as loving fathers who were deeply cherished. Collier's sister, Rebecca Mahoney, spoke of her brother's compassionate nature, recalling him as someone who would do anything for others. The family was left heartbroken and struggling to comprehend the senseless loss of two of their own, who together left behind six young children. A neighbor later recounted to police seeing the door of the house open and a red SUV arrive. Someone went inside briefly before quickly leaving and driving away, after which the neighbor noticed a foot in the doorway and called for help.
The investigation into the double homicide pressed on, and a couple of months later, in February 2019, the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office announced a significant breakthrough in the case. A 26-year-old man named Russell Rijon McNeal was arrested in connection with the murders. McNeal was taken into custody without incident at an apartment complex in Lithonia and subsequently charged with felony murder for the deaths of both Robert Collier and Michael Wigfall. Following his arrest, he was held at the DeKalb County Jail.
