ATKINSON COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - A man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in connection with a 2020 murder in Willacoochee, but his family says the fight is not over.

According to a press release from Alapaha Judicial Circuit District Attorney Chase L. Studstill, 46-year-old Thurman Mitchell Adams of Ocilla was convicted by an Atkinson County jury on March 18, 2026. He faced multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

A judge sentenced Adams to life without parole, plus an additional five years.

The charges stem from the death of William Shawn Smith, whose body was found in a recliner at his Savannah Avenue home on August 14, 2020. Investigators say Smith died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Authorities say witnesses placed Adams at the home around the time of the shooting. Investigators also found gunshot residue on a shirt Smith had given Adams earlier that day. Officials say the two had argued over money before the shooting.

According to the district attorney’s office, the case faced early challenges, as witnesses initially gave conflicting accounts.

“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. It was not until after Adams was arrested that some of the witnesses came forward with the truth,” Studstill said.

Officials also say Adams committed the murder while on probation for another crime and had previously been sentenced to 25 years in prison for violating that probation.

During sentencing, Smith’s daughter addressed the court. According to the district attorney’s office, she gave a compelling victim impact statement honoring her father.

Despite the conviction, Adams’ mother, Linda Deaton, says she firmly believes her son is innocent. She says Adams refused to take any plea deals offered in the case, maintaining his innocence from the beginning.

Deaton says she is standing by her son and is confident in his innocence, saying she would “bet her life” that he did not commit the crime.

Defense efforts are ongoing. A new motion has been filed in the case as Adams’ legal team seeks further review of the conviction.

Prosecutors emphasized the relationship between the two men, saying Smith had shown kindness to Adams.

“William Smith was generous to Thurman Adams. He gave him a shirt, and Thurman Adams repaid Mr. Smith by shooting him in the head,” Assistant District Attorney Michelle Avis said during closing arguments.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Michelle Avis and George Bessonette. District Attorney Studstill thanked investigators and agencies involved, including the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, for their work in securing the conviction. He added that the outcome brings justice to Smith’s family and the community.

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