Man accused of fatal Atlanta train stabbing now faces federal charge
John Elijah Matthews (Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office)
ATLANTA - The 25-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a woman to death on an Atlanta Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train could now face federal prison time and the death penalty after he was charged in a federal criminal complaint on Tuesday.
What we know:
Federal prosecutors announced that 25-year-old John Elijah Matthews of Decatur is charged with committing an act of violence causing death on a mass transportation system.
The federal charge stems from the death of 66-year-old Margaret Swan.
Warrants state Matthews is accused of cutting Swan’s throat and stabbing her roughly 20 times while riding an Atlanta MARTA train.
The incident occurred Saturday around 11:30 a.m. as the train traveled north from the Lakewood station to the Oakland City station.
Surveillance video captured the unprovoked attack, which showed Swan attempting to defend herself before Matthews threw her to the floor.
Matthews stood next to the victim until the train pulled into the Oakland City station.
Other passengers inside the car fled for safety and called for help during the assault, and at least one witness told authorities that Swan and Matthews had no prior interaction before the violence.
Officers arrested Matthews almost immediately after he exited the train, finding him with blood on his clothes and a bloody folding knife that matched the weapon seen on surveillance video. Swan died at the scene.
Because the attack occurred aboard a mass transportation network, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the MARTA Police Department to lead the ongoing criminal investigation.
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed when Matthews will make his initial appearance in federal court to face the mass transportation violence charge. It also remains unclear whether federal prosecutors intend to actively pursue the death penalty or seek a life sentence if Matthews is convicted.
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The Source: Information in this article comes from the U.S. Department of Justice in the Northern District of Georgia and prior FOX 5 reporting.