Dalton Man Suspected of Double Murder-Suicide Involving Wife and Girlfriend

The Dalton Police Department in North Georgia is in the midst of piecing together a double murder-suicide that has shaken the community. A tragic sequence unfolded when 37-year-old Kevin Andrew Akins reportedly shot and killed his wife, Rebeca Nicole Akins, at her residence—a scene that was later repeated when Akins took the life of his girlfriend, Cindel Mae Rhoden, before committing suicide. As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, the ordeal took place at two separate residences, with Dalton police connecting the harrowing events.

Akins is suspected of first targeting his wife at her apartment at 1320 Murray Avenue last Wednesday. The grim discovery of Mrs. Akins was made almost two days later by officers responding to concerns after she had not been seen for days, said Dalton police. Apartment staff gave access to her residence, revealing her fate of a gunshot wound to the head. Police surveillance footage captured Mr. Akins leaving her apartment at approximately 6 a.m. on the day of the shooting, as outlined by WJBF.

The investigation then led authorities to a second residence at 1805 Shadow Lane, where Akins' vehicle was located. In a chilling turn of events, Rhoden's father, after arriving and entering the apartment with a key, found both his daughter and Akins dead from gunshot wounds. He then called 911 to alert the authorities about the trauma he had stumbled upon last Saturday.

Neighbors have expressed their shock and fear. Vickey Tinsley, who resides near the first murder scene, recounted the unsettling sight of police responders and yellow tape to FOX 5 Atlanta. "I just really didn’t know what was going on. I saw the yellow tape and then I saw them towing her car… and it kind of scared me at first because I thought someone did get killed or someone broke into the apartment," she said. Tinsley also noted the emotional toll visible on the victim's family, saying, "I saw the uncle, because he said ‘that’s my niece.’ And he was very upset."

As the investigation goes forward, more details are expected to surface, while the Dalton Police Department has urged anyone with information to come forward.