Woman shot to death at Atlanta cemetery identified as 20-year-old Utah woman
The Atlanta Police Department released this photo showing a woman who they are trying to identify after she was found shot to death near an Atlanta cemetery on April 23, 2025. (Atlanta Police Department )
ATLANTA - Atlanta police have identified the tattooed woman found shot to death on Easter Sunday in a wooded area near Crest Lawn Memorial Park. Authorities say the victim is 20-year-old Angela Yajahira Cortes Villegas of Utah.
What we know:
Villegas was discovered just before 6 p.m. on April 20 in the 2000 block of Marietta Boulevard NW after officers responded to reports of an unresponsive person. She had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Initially, investigators sought the public’s help to identify the young woman by releasing photos of her distinctive tattoos: an eye on her right wrist, a treble clef and music note on her left wrist, and a bird with a flower on her left thigh. Police have not said whether those tattoos helped confirm her identity.
A distinctive tattoo of a bird and flower found on the victim's left thigh. (Atlanta Police Department)
"This young lady deserves to have someone who knows where she is," said Terrie Nelson with Crest Lawn, who noted that a death like this is unheard of in the cemetery’s history.
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What's next:
The investigation remains active and ongoing. While police have not released any information about potential suspects, employees at the cemetery reported previous troubling encounters with an unknown man in recent months. Staff described him as belligerent, saying he disrupted a service, spat on a grieving family member, and made threats toward workers. It’s unclear if this man is connected to the homicide.
What you can do:
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at (404) 577-8477 or visit www.stopcrimeatl.org. Callers can remain anonymous.