Sgt. Eric Smith of the Cobb County Police Department announced in a public information release that a 33-year-old Marietta man was arrested in a homicide that took place yesterday, January 30, on Pat Mell Road.

The arrest was made on the evening of Jan. 31, and the suspect was charged with aggravated assault and malice murder.

[The Cobb County Courier has a policy of withholding or redacting the name of suspects unless and until the person is convicted in a court of law or enters a plea of guilty. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty, and the internet has no effective way of removing reports of arrest if the person is exonerated. We do make exceptions in high-profile cases or charges against public officials where exoneration is likely to be as widely publicized as the initial arrest]

The public information release described the events leading to the arrest as follows:

On January 30, 2025, at approximately 12:45 AM, uniformed patrol officers were dispatched to the Cobblestone Apartments located at 347 Pat Mell Road after receiving reports of a person shot. Upon arrival, officers located the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Responding officers rendered aid, and the victim was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. Despite lifesaving measures, the victim was pronounced deceased.

The victim was identified as Dequelle Williamson (44, Marietta). His next of kin has been notified.

The Major Crimes Unit responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. This incident remains under investigation. Anyone with additional information is requested to contact the Cobb County Police Department Major Crimes Unit at 770-499-3945.

About the Major Crimes Unit

The Crimes Against Persons Division of the Cobb County Police Department is part of the Major Crimes Unit, and is broken down into several specialized units, to investigate homicides, robberies, technology-based crime, domestic violence and stalking, and crimes against children. It has a unit that does crime analysis to identify evidence to help link cases and identify suspects.

The division also houses the Crime Scene Unit which according to the division’s website “is responsible for documenting and processing crime scenes to locate evidence, identify suspects, and to present evidence in criminal proceedings. Crime scene technicians are responsible for processing evidence utilizing a variety of procedures for fingerprint, DNA, and trace evidence.”

The commander of the Major Crimes Unit is Capt. Matt Brown, and the Crimes Against Persons Unit is commanded by Lt. Tim Nelson.