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2w ago

Man Charged Federally After Great-Grandmother Fatally Stabbed on Atlanta MARTA Train

FBI involvement has moved the case to federal prosecutors who may seek life imprisonment or the death penalty.

The homeless lunatic accused of viciously stabbing great-grandmother Margaret Swan to death during a random attack on an Atlanta train was hit with a federal criminal charge, the Department of Justice said.
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Overview

  • Surveillance video and a sworn arrest affidavit allege John Elijah Matthews approached 66-year-old Margaret Swan on a northbound MARTA train and fatally stabbed her in a rapid, apparently unprovoked attack.
  • Authorities say Swan was killed during the incident that occurred on May 30 and that Matthews stabbed her roughly 18 to 20 times, sliced her throat, and remained near her until the train reached Oakland City Station.
  • MARTA police arrested 25-year-old Matthews at Oakland City Station minutes after the assault and officers reported finding blood on his clothes and a bloody folding knife that matched the video evidence.
  • Federal prosecutors filed a mass-transportation violence charge against Matthews that carries potential life imprisonment or the death penalty and the FBI is co-leading the investigation.
  • The killing has prompted MARTA to increase patrols and drawn questions from the victim’s family and riders about visible security, with officials pointing to rising transit-safety concerns ahead of major events in the city.