In the quiet town of Dalton, Georgia, the life of 35-year-old Rebeca Nicole Akins was brought to a tragic and violent end in what investigators have described as a double murder-suicide. The series of events began to unfold on Friday, May 23, 2025, when concerned coworkers reported that Rebeca had not been seen or heard from for several days. This prompted a welfare check at her Murray Avenue apartment.
Upon gaining entry to the residence, officers from the Dalton Police Department made
a grim discovery. Rebeca was found deceased inside, having sustained an apparent gunshot wound to the head. The investigation into her death quickly pointed to her 37-year-old husband, Kevin Andrew Akins, as the primary suspect. Detectives uncovered surveillance footage that showed Kevin leaving Rebeca's apartment at approximately 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21st.
The investigation then led police to a second residence on Shadow Lane, where they suspected Kevin had gone. While awaiting a search warrant in the early morning hours of Saturday, authorities witnessed a man, later identified as the father of 33-year-old Cindel Mae Rhoden, enter the apartment using a key. He had also become concerned after not hearing from his daughter for several days. Shortly after entering, he exited the apartment and called 911 to report that he had found his daughter and a man shot to death inside.
The subsequent investigation determined that Kevin Akins had driven to the Shadow Lane apartment after killing his wife. There, he shot and killed Cindel Rhoden, who was his girlfriend and five months pregnant, before turning the gun on himself. The case was ruled a murder-suicide, with Kevin Akins as the sole perpetrator of the two homicides. As the suspect took his own life, there were no arrests made in connection with the deaths of Rebeca Akins and Cindel Rhoden. Family members described Rebeca as a kind and loving person, and were left to grapple with the sudden and devastating loss. She had been in a relationship with Kevin Akins for two decades.
