An Atlanta man has pleaded guilty to his role in the November 2018 stabbing death of a Cobb County resident.
Dunte Lamont Holmes, 22, pleaded guilty Monday to malice murder, aggravated assault and other charges in the death of Mitchell Jones, Jr. He was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Reuben Green to life in prison.
Cobb police were dispatched to a call of the stabbing at a townhouse around 9:30 p.m. Nov. 23, 2018 in the 3400 block of Laurie Joe Drive, which is off Hurt Road in Marietta. The Cobb County District Attorney’s Office said Jones, who was “obviously distressed,” called 911 for help. Officers arrived to find Jones, 31, trapped inside a locked bedroom.
Jones suffered injuries to his face, head, torso, arms and legs, prosecutors said. He was taken to an area hospital, but did not survive the attack.
The DA’s office said the case went cold until March 2019 when Cobb police detectives executed a search warrant for geofencing data from Google.
Geofencing uses GPS information from a person’s mobile device to create a geographic boundary, which allows software to send out mobile alerts when the device enters or exits an area. Analyzing the data led police to identify Holmes as the suspect.
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On April 4, nearly five months after Jones’ death, Cobb police obtained warrants for Holmes’ arrest, which states he allegedly used a “cutting type instrument” to inflict several sharp, fatal blows to the victim.
He was taken into custody where he admitted his involvement in the fatal stabbing, the DA's office said. Prosecutors also said a drop of blood found outside the home also matched Holmes' DNA profile. A Cobb grand jury in June indicted Holmes on charges stemming from the fatal stabbing.
Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Jesse Evans said “victims and their families deserve their day in court.”
“We are committed to collaborating with police, as we all seek new and innovative ways to bring justice to these families,” he said.
Mitchell Jones Sr. said he hopes he can forgive Holmes for taking his son’s life.
“I preach forgiveness in church, but it is easier said than done,” he said.
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