A Buford man was convicted Thursday of murdering his live-in girlfriend and her teenage son in a 2021 shooting that left their bodies locked in a bedroom for two days while an 8-year-old child unknowingly remained in the home, prosecutors said.

William Jerome Adams, 29, was found guilty of two counts of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault for the March 24, 2021, killings of Mary Lindsay, 39, and her 15-year-old son, Atif Muhammad Jr. A Gwinnett County jury sentenced Adams to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

The bodies were discovered on March 26 after Lindsay’s daughter, 19, climbed through a window to check on her mother, who had not been heard from in days. Inside the locked bedroom, she found Lindsay and Muhammad dead from gunshot wounds. An 8-year-old child, Lindsay’s youngest son, had been in the home the entire time.

Three 9mm shell casings were recovered at the scene. Investigators traced the ammunition to a handgun reportedly owned by Adams, which Muhammad’s twin sister had photographed days before the murder.

Prosecutors said Adams fled the state and tried to cross into Mexico under an assumed name but was arrested by Laredo police. Authorities also determined that Adams stole $2,000 from Lindsay’s bank account before his attempted escape.

During trial, witnesses testified to Adams’ abusive behavior and controlling nature. Prosecutors introduced an email where Lindsay documented injuries she allegedly sustained from him.

District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson called the sentence “fitting for a defendant who violently took the life of a mother and son.”

Key Points

William Jerome Adams found guilty of murdering girlfriend and her 15-year-old son
Victims’ bodies were locked in a room for two days with 8-year-old still in the house
Adams arrested in Texas while attempting to flee to Mexico with stolen funds

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