Police: Man Kills Lawyer, Self After Divorce Finalized

Attorney had reported being afraid of Georgia man
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 22, 2018 2:24 AM CDT
Police: Man Kills Lawyer, Self After Divorce Finalized
Police say the lawyer died from multiple gunshot wounds.   (P. Wei/Getty Images)

Authorities say a Georgia man killed his ex-wife's attorney in his law office just hours after the couple's divorce was final and then killed himself, the AP reports. Cartersville Police Lt. M.E. Bettikofer tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that 33-year-old Walter Samuel Radford failed to show up Wednesday for the final divorce hearing. The divorce was finalized at 12:04pm. Police say Radford shot and killed his ex-wife's attorney in the attorney's Cartersville law office about two hours later. The lawyer, 41-year-old Antonio Benjamin Mari, was shot multiple times.

Bettikofer says Radford called ex-wife Cindy Radford to tell her he had shot Mari. He says Radford then broke into her home and shot himself. His body was found about 2:40pm. Colleague Wade Everett says Mari had reported being afraid of Radford and had said Wednesday morning, hours before the murder, that he had a "gut feeling" the man could harm him. According to court documents, Radford never filed a response or hired a lawyer after he was served with divorce papers in March. At Wednesday's hearing, his ex-wife was awarded the family home and granted custody of the couple's two children.

(More divorce stories.)

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