Georgia Man Sentenced to Life Without Parole in 2020 Willacoochee Murder

ATKINSON COUNTY, Georgia – An Ocilla man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole following his conviction in a 2020 murder in Atkinson County.

Thurman Mitchell Adams, 46, was found guilty by a jury on March 18, 2026, on charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Chief Judge Clayton A. Tomlinson sentenced Adams to life without parole, plus an additional five years.

The charges stem from the August 14, 2020 death of William Shawn Smith, who was found inside his Savannah Avenue home in Willacoochee. Investigators determined Smith died from a single gunshot wound to the top of his head.

Agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation worked alongside the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office to process the scene and gather evidence. Witnesses placed Adams at the home around the time of the shooting, and investigators later found gunshot residue on a shirt that Smith had given Adams earlier that same day.

Authorities said Adams and Smith had argued over money prior to the shooting.

According to District Attorney Chase L. Studstill, the case was delayed due to conflicting accounts from witnesses.
“An arrest wasn’t made in the shooting of Mr. Smith until a year later because of the different stories initially told by the witnesses in this case,” Studstill said. “It was not until after Adams was arrested that some of the witnesses came forward with the truth.”

Prosecutors also noted that Adams committed the murder while on probation for another offense and had already been serving a 25-year sentence for violating that probation.

“Even though he was already serving a 25-year sentence for violating his probation, we felt it was important to give justice to Mr. Smith’s family for the murder,” Studstill said.

During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Michelle Avis emphasized the relationship between the victim and the defendant.
“William Smith was generous to Thurman Adams,” Avis told jurors. “He gave him a shirt, and Thurman Adams repaid Mr. Smith by shooting him in the head.”

At sentencing, Smith’s daughter delivered a victim impact statement honoring her father.

District Attorney Studstill credited the conviction to the combined efforts of investigators, prosecutors, and support staff, as well as the cooperation between the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The case brings closure to a years-long investigation into Smith’s death.