Melissa Tibbetts, 45, was found dead in a Midtown hotel room Oct. 14, and police later identified a suspect.
ATLANTA, GA — A man has been arrested on murder and aggravated battery charges after a 45-year-old woman was found dead last month inside a room at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in Midtown, according to Atlanta police and court records.
Melissa Tibbetts was found dead Oct. 14 after officers were called to the hotel at 1065 Peachtree St. NE. Hotel staff directed responding officers to a room, where they found Tibbetts unresponsive. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that her death was a homicide.
Atlanta police identified Emanuel Poindexter as a suspect on Oct. 22 and obtained warrants for his arrest. Authorities said Poindexter was in Gwinnett County at the time receiving medical treatment for what police described as a self-inflicted knife wound. After he was medically cleared, officers took him into custody and transported him to the Fulton County Jail.
Poindexter faces charges of murder and aggravated battery. An arrest warrant obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution alleges that Tibbetts suffered injuries to her neck and was struck several times, causing her death. The allegations in the warrant have not been proven in court, and Poindexter is presumed innocent unless convicted.
Police have not publicly explained how investigators identified Poindexter as a suspect or what connection, if any, he had to Tibbetts. Authorities also have not publicly disclosed a possible motive. Early reports differed on Poindexter’s age, and police reporting cited by several Atlanta news organizations did not provide consistent information, so his age could not be independently confirmed.
Tibbetts’ family identified her publicly after her death. An obituary published by Davis-Struempf Funeral Home & Crematory said she lived in Lawrenceville and worked as an executive assistant. It described her as a mother who enjoyed traveling, collecting elephants and spending time near the ocean.
The investigation began when officers responded to the Midtown property on Oct. 14. Homicide detectives took over after Tibbetts was found, and the medical examiner classified the death as a homicide the following day. Detectives obtained the arrest warrants eight days after the initial call.
Several Atlanta news organizations reported Tuesday that Poindexter had been booked into the Fulton County Jail after receiving medical clearance. Police said the arrest closed their active homicide case, although the criminal case against Poindexter will proceed through the court system. No publicly verified information about an initial court appearance, bond decision or trial schedule was available Tuesday evening.
Author note: Last updated November 3, 2026.