Man Convicted Of Fatally Shooting Wife's Ex-Fiancée In Cherokee

CANTON, GA — A 37-year-old Powder Springs man has been convicted of murder in connection with the shooting death of his wife's ex-fiancée over three years ago in Acworth, Cherokee County prosecutors said Monday.

The jury's guilty verdict against Nicholas Michael Mimms on Friday came after eight hours of deliberation, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office said. The trial began on Jan. 26.

Mimms was convicted of shooting and killing Eduardo Gilberto Figueroa, 31, around noon, Aug. 7, 2021 outside a home on Mohawk Trail, prosecutors said.

When deputies responded, prosecutors said they found Figueroa "lying face down on a deck beside the home, dead from multiple gunshot wounds."

At the time, Mimms claimed self-defense and said Figueroa was dangerous and threatened him, prosecutors said. But, they added, evidence showed Figueroa was not armed.

Mimms, on the other hand, was wearing a bulletproof vest and was armed with a firearm, prosecutors said. They added he was waiting outside of the home for Figueroa's arrival.

Before the shooting, prosecutors said Figueroa gained his parental rights for the child he shared with his ex-fiancée who was married to Mimms.

The day he died, prosecutors said Figueroa's first court-approved parenting time was scheduled from noon-2 p.m.

Mimms had never met Figueroa before but was designated as the supervisor for the visitation. The child and his mother were not home at the time of the deadly shooting, prosecutors said.

The jury found Mimms guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was found not guilty of malice murder, prosecutors said.

He will be sentenced at a later date.