The much-adored owner of an Atlanta-area bookstore was found dead in a creek this week, with law enforcement authorities saying that one of her ex-boyfriend, an employee, kidnapped and killed her.
Romero Johnson, 38, faces charges of kidnapping and murder in the death of 42-year-old Erica Atkins, authorities confirmed to Law&Crime.
According to a copy of the incident report obtained by Law&Crime, officers with the Locust Grove Police Department responded to Atkins’ residence at 2:50 a.m. on March 5 for a report of a missing person.
Once there, investigators determined there were “suspicious circumstances” surrounding the disappearance of the individual, identified as Atkins.
Detectives determined Johnson was a person of interest.
After several hours, investigators found Johnson and booked him into the Henry County Jail. Because Atkins had not been found, authorities initially charged Johnson with kidnapping.
Deputies recovered Atkins’ body from a creek at about 1:30 p.m., on the line dividing Putnam County and Jones County.
An affidavit from investigators states that between 11:30 p.m. on March 4 and 12:30 a.m. on March 5, Johnson “willfully and knowingly” kidnapped Atkins when he “dragged a body-sized sheet” that he used to cover Atkins’ body from her garage. He then placed it into the rear of his vehicle. Detectives said they obtained surveillance footage from a home across the street showing Johnson moving the body into the vehicle.
Investigators found human...
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