Man arrested after woman’s body found in Panthersville woods
A man was arrested Friday, hours after a woman’s body was found in a wooded area on a small Panthersville street, officials confirmed.
Cedric Thomas, 57, is accused of beating the victim to death and sexually assaulting her, according to a warrant for his arrest. He faces a charge of malice murder.
DeKalb County police said they got a call shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday about a person down in the woods in the 2900 block of Panthersville Court, a dead-end street off Panthersville Road. There, they found the victim. She was identified as 42-year-old Nolitha Hadden.
Police said Hadden knew Thomas but did not elaborate on their relationship.
The street where the victim was found ends before it connects to Flat Shoals Road and is lined with trees and abandoned properties. A Wells Fargo bank also backs up to the street. It is a quiet corner in an otherwise busy area.
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Rosana Hughes is an award-winning bilingual (fluent in Spanish) journalist with a passion for explanatory public service journalism. She has been a reporter on the breaking news team since January 2022.
