Atlanta police shared new information Friday morning about the beating death of a homeless man last month and continued their search for the unidentified killer.
Officers canvassed an area between the South Downtown and Castleberry Hill neighborhoods in search of information about the suspect, who was seen attacking 41-year-old Jeylani Mohamed just after 3:30 a.m. on June 18, Atlanta police said. The fight was captured on surveillance video and police were able to track the suspect’s next movements on MARTA security cameras, according to Detective Amanda Wortham.
Investigators sought to identify the suspect through Friday’s canvassing efforts in order to formally charge him and take out arrest warrants, police said. They released two photos of the suspect taken from MARTA security video. Wortham also mentioned that the suspect has a large tattoo on his right forearm.
Homicide Commander Lt. Andrew Smith described the suspect as “transient” and said the man appeared to know the MARTA system well. Both the suspect and Mohamed are believed to be homeless, police said.
The incident took place at the top of the steps that connect Peters Street and Ted Turner Drive. The fight appeared to begin as an unprovoked attack against Mohamed, Smith said.
Investigators said there were likely no witnesses. Although the surveillance video shows that two people walked by during the attack, the suspect stopped hitting Mohamed as they passed and they did not appear to see anything, Smith said.
According to Wortham, Mohamed was a Somalian national who previously worked in Texas to provide support for his family in northeast Africa. He suffered a stroke several years ago and returned to Somalia to recover. In May 2022, Mohamed’s family reported him missing after he came back to the U.S. to resume work. Mohamed disappeared after landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and his whereabouts remained unknown until he was found dead.
Anyone with information can submit a tip anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477), online www.StopCrimeAtl.org or by texting CSA and the tip to CRIMES (274637). Tips can also be submitted directly to the Atlanta Police Department’s homicide unit at 404-546-4235. Tipsters do not have to give their name or any identifying information to be eligible for the reward of up to $2,000.
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