Dequavious Graves, a 31-year-old Black/African American man, was nearing the end of his postal route in Decatur, Georgia, on the evening of February 12, 2026, when his life was tragically cut short. An employee of the United States Postal Service for three years, Graves was a familiar and well-liked figure in the community he served. As he was delivering mail along Oxford Drive near Flat Shoals Road just before 7 p.m., he was fatally shot.
The sudden violence of the act sent shockwaves
through the quiet neighborhood and left his family and friends reeling. In the immediate aftermath, federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the DeKalb County Police Department, launched an intensive investigation into the shooting. Recognizing the gravity of the crime—the murder of a federal employee on duty—the U.S. Postal Inspection Service offered a substantial reward of up to $250,000 for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible. Authorities described the suspect or suspects as armed and dangerous.
The investigation, a collaborative effort involving the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, the Atlanta Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol, quickly zeroed in on a person of interest. This individual was identified as 25-year-old Nahjel Williams. Williams was already wanted on an outstanding warrant for a separate murder that occurred in Atlanta in August 2024. Law enforcement took Williams into custody in Atlanta on the pre-existing murder warrant. Following his arrest, a search warrant was executed at a residence on Oxford Drive in Decatur, the same street where Graves was killed.
While some initial reports stated that Williams had been charged with the death of Dequavious Graves, a U.S. Postal Inspector clarified that at the time of his arrest, he was being held on the warrant for the previous homicide. The investigation into Graves' murder is ongoing. Williams has a significant criminal history, including charges of aggravated assault and aggravated battery. No motive for the shooting of the postal worker has been publicly released by investigators.
