In the early morning hours of a Sunday in October 2010, the quiet of a northwest Atlanta neighborhood was broken by a neighbor's call to 911. The caller reported what they believed to be a prowler in a carport on West Lake Drive. When police arrived at the scene just before 3:30 a.m., they discovered the situation was far more grim. The man was not a prowler, but a victim crying out for help.
David C. Atkins, Jr., a 38-year-old male, was found beaten and shot to death. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his chest. Investigators at the scene determined that a struggle had taken place inside the home he shared with a roommate. There were no signs of forced entry, leading authorities to focus their attention on the person he lived with.
In the immediate aftermath of the discovery of Atkins' body, the Atlanta Police Department announced that they were actively searching for his roommate. The individual was considered a person of interest in the homicide. Despite the initial focus on the roommate, publicly available information does not indicate whether this individual was ever located or if any arrests were made in connection with the case. The investigation into the death of David Atkins, Jr. remains without a publicly reported resolution.
