ATLANTA — Fulton County prosecutors are trying to get justice for a 4-year-old killed in an alleged case of domestic violence.
We’re learning investigators believe the child’s father murdered her to punish the little girl’s mother.
The head of the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office’s domestic violence division confirms a Clayton County indictment that includes an aggravated assault charge against Rashad Dixon from June 2025, in which Zuri Dixon’s mother was the alleged victim, months before Dixon allegedly stabbed Zuri to death.
During a 911 call obtained by Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne, you can hear Zuri’s mother yelling, “Stop! Rashad, stop! Help!”
The call then goes silent.
“It’s a horrible case of a father taking the life of his child to punish the mother. Those are, at least, the allegations,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said.
Willis said after Dixon allegedly stabbed his own four-year-old daughter to death, her office has taken a crucial step toward punishing him: an indictment.
“We’re going to ask that he be put in prison for the rest of his life,” Willis said.
“Sometimes they say prosecutors don’t cry, but this one, when you read it, when you see some of the evidence, it’s heart-wrenching,” Executive DA Simone Hylton said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Police chief locked out of his job days after being reinstated
- New Costco coming to metro Atlanta
- ‘Die:’ Florida woman threatens to kill metro Atlanta couple after they avoid alleged financial scam
The twelve counts in the indictment range from murder and cruelty to children in the first degree to hindering a person making an emergency telephone call.
“The mom did not want him at the house on Allison Court. And so, she immediately called 911,” Executive DA Adam Abbate said. “From what the evidence will show and what we know from the police investigation, is that he grabbed the phone from her and stabbed it with a knife, making it inoperable. He, after taking the phone, ran out to where her vehicle was and broke one of the front windows.”
Abbate said the investigation indicates Dixon was treated and released after he stabbed himself superficially in the neck, “In an attempt to evade the consequences of his actions.”
Hylton said there was a history of abuse of Zuri’s mother, Jazzuri Rouse.
“This is an indication of the extreme events that can occur in intimate partner violence cases,” Hylton said.
Domestic violence deputy DA Asia Baysah said Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed into law a bill that creates a framework for family justice centers statewide, including in Fulton County.
“The level of domestic violence is an epidemic as crime goes down. Domestic violence remains the same and even increases,” Baysah told Winne.
She said Fulton County DA staff members have visited Family Justice Centers across the country to find the best way to provide a place where victims can get resources to escape domestic violence.
“We are launching our Family Justice Center in 2027. Right now, we have 40 partners committed,” Family Justice Center Site Coordinator Melissa Arthur said. “We do have one of our partners who will be potentially providing a building.”
A spokesman for the Georgia Public Defender Council said a public defender has been appointed by the courts to represent Dixon in pending criminal matters in Clayton County and Fulton County.
In a statement to Winne, the council said:
“The allegations in these cases are serious and involve circumstances that have profoundly affected multiple individuals, families, and communities. We recognize the grief experienced by those impacted, particularly the family and loved ones of Zuri Dixon.
“Under both the United States Constitution and the Georgia Constitution, every person accused of a crime is entitled to legal representation and due process of law. Public defenders do not choose their clients or the allegations they face. Our responsibility is to ensure that constitutional rights are protected and that the legal process proceeds fairly and according to the law.
“The Fulton County prosecution and the Clayton County prosecution are separate legal matters pending before different courts. Because both cases remain active, neither GPDC nor defense counsel can comment on evidence, witness testimony, litigation strategy, or the merits of the allegations.
“As with any criminal case, charges are allegations, and Mr. Dixon is presumed innocent unless and until the State proves its case beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“We ask that the public allow the judicial process to proceed and that consideration be given to the privacy and dignity of all affected families while these matters remain pending.”
©2026 Cox Media Group
