Briton charged with killing three people in the US is found dead in prison

George Bunn
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:00:51 +0000

A Briton charged with killing three people in the US has been found dead inside his jail cell.

Olaolukitan Adon-Abel, 26, was found unresponsive late on Tuesday night in his cell in DeKalb County, Georgia.

Emergency services attended and attempted to issue life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

An internal review has been launched but officials say they do not currently suspect foul play.

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Sheriff Melody Maddox confirmed the death through a statement Tuesday night.

She said: "In accordance with agency policy, a standard internal review has been initiated to examine the circumstances surrounding this incident."

Adon-Abel had been charged with multiple counts of murder following a series of shootings across the county to the east of Atlanta earlier this month.

He was accused of killing 31-year-old Prianna Weathers, 48-year-old Tony Matthews and 40-year-old DHS auditor Lauren Bullis.

The incident started shortly before 1am, when Ms Weathers was gunned down near a restaurant in Decatur.

Around an hour later, Mr Matthews was shot multiple times just outside a grocery store in Brookhaven, about 15 miles northwest.

Just before 7am, Ms Bullis was shot and stabbed while walking her dog in Panthersville, just over 10 miles away from where Mr Matthews was shot.

Adon-Abel was arrested by the Georgia Department of Public Safety during a felony traffic stop in Troup County.

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A DHS spokesman said: "Beyond her professional accomplishments, Lauren was a bright spot for so many of the DHS community

"She brought warmth, kindness, and a genuine sense of care to her colleagues each day."

A spokesman from Georgia Public Defender Council said in a statement: "His death denies him the opportunity to contest the charges against him in court.

"We also regret that the families, friends, and colleagues of the victims may now be left without the fuller answers a public legal process might have provided about how these deaths occurred. That is a painful and sobering reality for everyone affected."

The incident drew national attention due to Adon-Abel's immigration status.

Authorities said he had entered the United States and later became a naturalized citizen in 2022 while serving in the US Navy.

Adon Abel's roommates told local media that just before the shootings, he got in an intense argument over the air conditioning in their home and stormed out the building.

Before his death, Adon-Abel’s charges included malice murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to the Justice Department.