On a summer evening in Columbus, Georgia, the life of 53-year-old Mozelle Barbee was tragically cut short. On Saturday, July 5, 2025, police responded to a welfare check in the 400 block of 20th Avenue. There, at the end of the avenue near Mason Street, they discovered Barbee deceased from gunshot wounds. The Muscogee County Coroner pronounced her dead at 6:40 p.m. that evening.
The death was quickly ruled a homicide, prompting an investigation by the Columbus Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit.
The investigation into the death of the female victim swiftly led to a suspect. Shortly after the discovery, police arrested 65-year-old Jimmie Lee Thomas in connection with the fatal shooting. Authorities identified Thomas as Barbee's boyfriend. He was subsequently charged with murder and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a crime. Barbee's death marked the fourth homicide in a span of just three days in the Columbus area.
