Lithonia man gets life for killing woman during 911 call at motel, DA says

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published November 7, 2026 5:50 PM EST

DeKalb County police are investigating a deadly shooting at Studio Motel 6 in Tucker on April 15, 2025. (FOX 5)

The Brief

    • A 38-year-old Lithonia man will spend the rest of his life in prison for shooting and killing a woman he was dating, prosecutors said.
    • A DeKalb County jury convicted Antonio Watson of murder after motel surveillance video and his own 911 call captured the April 2025 shooting in Tucker.
    • A judge sentenced Watson to life in prison without parole plus 20 years immediately after the verdict.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A Lithonia man was sentenced for shooting and killing a woman he was dating while on the phone with 911, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office. 

What we know:

A DeKalb County jury found 38-year-old Antonio Robert Watson guilty Thursday of malice murder, felony murder, home invasion, aggravated assault and gun charges, District Attorney Sherry Boston said.

Immediately after the guilty verdict, a judge sentenced Watson to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an extra 20 years.

The shooting happened the morning of April 15, 2025, at the Studio 6 motel on Crescent Centre Boulevard in Tucker.

Investigators said Watson called 911 claiming 30-year-old Shalileha Alford robbed him and her dog bit him.

The 911 recording captured the sound of multiple gunshots, and Watson claimed Alford had shot at him, according to the district attorney's office. 

Motel security cameras contradicted his story, showing Watson knock on the door and pull a gun from his pocket after Alford looked through the curtains but refused to open the door, authorities added. 

Prosecutors said Watson shot through the window, climbed through the broken glass into the room, shot Alford several more times, ran back to his car and drove away.

Officers found Alford unconscious in the bathtub, and she died a little over an hour later, the district attorney's office added. 

Authorities learned Alford had called 911 the day before the shooting to report Watson broke into her room, beat her with a handgun and threatened to shoot her in the face.

Hours after the shooting, Georgia State Patrol troopers spotted Watson's car on Memorial Drive near Candler Road; he sped away from an attempted traffic stop until a trooper used a PIT maneuver to stop him, the news release stated. 

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What we don't know:

Authorities have not explained what action officers took after Alford called 911 the day before to report Watson beat her and threatened to shoot her.

The Source: Information in this story came from the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office and previous FOX 5 reports. 

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