DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County jury found J’ana Rawat, 30, guilty of malice murder and multiple other charges on March 3, for the 2022 shooting death of her ex-boyfriend. The murder occurred at a Clarkston apartment while two of Rawat’s children were in the room.
In addition to malice murder, Rawat was convicted of felony murder, aggravated assault family violence, cruelty to children in the third degree and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The conviction follows the May 20, 2022, murder of 28-year-old Tyler James Reed, according to an announcement from DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
Clarkston police officers responded to an apartment complex in the 1400 block of Oak Drive shortly before 1 a.m. following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found the apartment door open and were directed to the kitchen by Rawat. Police detained Rawat and recovered a handgun from her jacket pocket.
Inside the kitchen, authorities discovered Reed lying face down on the floor. Officers attempted to perform CPR, but Reed was pronounced dead at the scene. Rawat was taken to police headquarters, where she waived her Miranda rights and talked to investigators.
She told police she had left her three children at the apartment with Reed, who fathered one of the children, so she could spend time with a friend. When she returned about one hour later, she claimed the apartment lock appeared to have been tampered with because she had difficulty using her key. This led to an argument with Reed in the kitchen.
During the argument, Rawat told officers she at first pointed a kitchen knife at Reed because he had been violent with her in the past. She then went upstairs to get a gun and a second child before returning to the kitchen. Rawat pointed the gun at Reed while he sat at the table with another child. After Reed told Rawat he was not afraid of her, she shot him twice.
Defense attorneys argued during the trial that Rawat acted in self-defense. However, prosecutors stated there was no evidence that Reed was a threat to her at the time of the fatal shooting. The case was investigated by the Clarkston Police Department and the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit. Senior Assistant District Attorneys Furhawn Shah and Eliazette Johnson prosecuted the case.
DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Asha F. Jackson, who presided over the trial, is scheduled to hold a sentencing hearing for Rawat in 45 days.
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