Cops ID woman in apartment killing, say shooter is her fiancé

Carl Williams (left), Donjinae Jackson-Neals

Credit: DeKalb County Sheriff's Office

Credit: DeKalb County Sheriff's Office

Carl Williams (left), Donjinae Jackson-Neals

A woman who was shot and killed earlier this month in a Decatur apartment has been identified and new details about the case indicate the alleged triggerman was her fiancé.

Authorities released the identity of Donjinae Jackson-Neals, 21, of Snellville, after nearly two weeks of attempting to reach her family members. 

Police say Carl Williams, 23, shot and killed Jackson-Neals on Dec. 2 and then called 911, according to a redacted police report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The two lived at an apartment complex in the 200 block of Glen Hollow Lane.

Williams and Jackson-Neals started dating in April and became engaged sometime after that, DeKalb police Lt. Lonzy Robertson told The AJC in an email.

“Investigators believe there was some kind of physical altercation between the two before the shooting,” Robertson said.

Williams called 911 about 10:30 a.m. that day after the shooting, police said. Investigators walked into the apartment and found Jackson-Neals “with an obvious head injury” and “no signs of life,” according to the report.

But Williams, according to arrest warrants, said the two were playing with a gun and he accidentally shot her.

Williams also told authorities he threw the gun in a creek, according to the warrant. Officials later found the weapon.

No one else was in the apartment at the time of the shooting, but detectives said a roommate arrived as investigators were on the scene.

Police found and detained Williams, who remains in the DeKalb County jail without bond.

Williams’ next court date is scheduled for Dec. 28.

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