In the early hours of a Wednesday morning in March 2017, the quiet of a Lithonia, Georgia townhome was shattered by a brutal act of violence that claimed the lives of two women. Janazia Miles, a 26-year-old female, and her mother, 41-year-old Tasharina Fluker, were found shot to death inside their home on Parkway Trail. The grim discovery was made around 3 a.m. by a family member who arrived at the residence. Miraculously, Miles' 8-month-old daughter was found unharmed inside the home and was later placed in the care of other relatives.
The tragedy unfolded just hours after the family had been celebrating Fluker's birthday. Friends and family were left reeling from the sudden and violent loss of a mother and daughter. The investigation quickly focused on a single suspect, Michael Thorton, who was 40 years old at the time. Thorton was identified as Fluker's boyfriend of about a year. According to family members, Fluker had recently ended her relationship with Thorton and had asked him to move out of the house. Her sister described him as possessive and, while they feared he might harm Fluker, they never imagined the situation would escalate to a double murder.
DeKalb County police swiftly arrested Michael Thorton and charged him with two counts of murder in the deaths of Janazia Miles and Tasharina Fluker. A neighbor reported hearing the couple arguing shortly before the incident, with Thorton allegedly demanding to be let into the house. Soon after the argument, a car was heard speeding away from the scene. While Thorton claimed after his surrender that the victims had 'jumped' him and the gun 'just went off,' police alleged that he intentionally pulled the trigger. The discovery of the women, both with gunshot wounds to the head, and the preceding domestic troubles painted a grim picture of the final moments of their lives.
