Dead Body Found in Passenger Seat After Driver Pulled Over in Georgia Traffic Stop, Authorities Say

Mar. 15, 2025

Stock image of a police officer pulling over a driver.Photo:Getty

Getty

A body was found in the passenger seat of a vehicle after a driver was pulled over during a traffic stop in Georgia on the night of Wednesday, Jan. 29, authorities say.

According to a statement from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, according to local outletAtlanta News First, the discovery was made when deputies conducted a traffic stop near Thornton Road and Interstate 20.

After the unidentified driver was pulled over, the body of the deceased passenger, identified as Malachi A. Mitchell, was found inside the vehicle. PerWAGA, he was 21 years old.

In their statement, the sheriff’s office said that the Criminal Investigations Division and Crime Scene Unit immediately responded to the scene and conducted a thorough investigation.

Stock image of a police siren.Getty

The driver “cooperated with the investigation” after being transported to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, officials said in their statement, according to Atlanta News First.

“The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office was briefed on the facts of the case as we had received them. After initial questioning, the driver was released pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation,” the statement continued.

According to the sheriff’s office, the incident has resulted in “threats” against the driver’s family, requiring the department to have “heightened patrol efforts and surveillance, with patrol deputies and the Special Operations Division.”

Although the investigation is still “active and ongoing,” the sheriff’s department has stated that they will not release any additional information at this time to maintain “the integrity of the investigation and safety of the individuals.”

The department said that after the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office “for review and/or prosecution.”

Malachi’s mother, Kenya Mitchell, shared withWAGAthat her son was “a strong, level-headed, kind, caring man.”

She told the station that she believed he was conducting a legal, private gun sale with the unidentified driver at the time of the incident.

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PEOPLE reached out to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for further comment.

source: people.com