Buford man convicted in murder of girlfriend, teen son

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William Jerome Adams was sentenced to two life terms in prison without the possibility of parole for a March 2021 double murder.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Buford man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted in the 2021 murders of his live-in girlfriend and her teenage son, according to Gwinnett County prosecutors.

What we know:

William Jerome Adams, 29, was convicted of two counts of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Adams shot and killed his girlfriend, Mary Lindsay, 39, and her son Atif Muhammad Jr., 15, on March 24, 2021. They said Adams then locked the bodies in a bedroom and attempted to flee to Mexico.

On March 26, 2021, Lindsay’s oldest daughter and Muhammad’s twin brother—who did not live at the home—went to the residence after a friend reported not hearing from Lindsay for several days. Prosecutors said the 19-year-old daughter climbed through a window and found her 8-year-old brother asleep in their mother’s bedroom. She then discovered the bodies locked inside another room.

Officials said the 8-year-old had been in the house for two days, unaware of the killings.

Muhammad’s twin testified that about 10 days before the murders, they found a 9mm Luger handgun in the home. She took a photo of the weapon and asked her mother about it. Prosecutors said Lindsay told her the gun belonged to Adams.

Investigators later recovered three shell casings in the bedroom where Lindsay and Muhammad were found.

Prosecutors also said Adams was controlling, and presented a photo that Lindsay had emailed to herself, showing an arm injury they claimed Adams caused.

What's next:

Adams was sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole.

What they're saying:

"The verdict and sentence are fitting for a defendant who violently took the life of a mother and son and stole from them," District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. "We mourn with the victims’ family and hope that the outcome of the trial gives them some closure and justice."