Georgia | Federal Grand Jury Indicts Decatur Man in Fatal Shooting of USPS Letter Carrier

A 24-year-old man faces the possibility of life in prison after a federal grand jury indicted him for the murder of a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier in Decatur.

A federal grand jury has returned a two-count indictment against 24-year-old Nahjel Malik Williams in connection with the February shooting death of a United States Postal Service employee.

Williams, a resident of Decatur, faces charges of first-degree murder of a federal employee and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death.

The indictment follows an investigation into the Feb. 12 killing of Dequavious Graves. Graves was performing his official duties as a letter carrier in Decatur when the incident occurred.

Premeditation

Graves, 31, was shot and killed in the 2700 block of Oxford Drive near Flat Shoals Road just before 7 p.m. while performing his job. Federal prosecutors allege the killing of the letter carrier was planned in advance.

At the time Graves was killed, Williams was already wanted for a different murder involving a 2024 shooting at the WestMar Student Lofts in Midtown Atlanta.

Authorities have not released the specific evidence they have that leads them to believe the murder was premeditated. It is also not yet clear if Williams and Graves knew each other before the shooting took place.

Death Penalty

Under federal law, the murder of a government employee engaged in their official duties carries severe penalties, including the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty.

The procedural history of the case began shortly after the shooting, leading to the federal government assuming jurisdiction due to the victim’s status as a federal agent.

Williams was previously apprehended and remains in custody pending further legal proceedings in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

First-degree murder charges in the federal system require the government to prove premeditation and malice aforethought.

The second count, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, carries a mandatory minimum sentence that must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.

The Department of Justice has not yet indicated whether it will seek capital punishment in this matter.

Such a determination typically involves a formal review process by the U.S. Attorney General’s Capital Review Committee. For now, the case proceeds through the pre-trial evidentiary phase as the defense and prosecution prepare for further hearings.

Source: DPN, Staff, AI, May 6, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

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