Cherokee: Jury convicts man for murdering his wife’s former fiancé just before child visitation

Written by: KC Harrington

Published February 26, 2026 @ 11:37 PM ET

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga – A Cherokee County jury has convicted a Powder Springs man in the fatal shooting of his wife’s former fiancé during what was supposed to be a supervised visit with a child in 2021.

On Feb. 13, jurors found 37-year-old Nicholas Michael Mimms guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

The charges stem from a shooting that took place around noon on Aug. 7, 2021, at a home on Mohawk Trail in Acworth. Prosecutors presented evidence showing that Mimms shot Eduardo Gilberto Figueroa, 31, multiple times outside the residence.

When deputies arrived, they discovered Figueroa lying face down near a deck. He was pronounced dead from several gunshot wounds.

During the investigation, Mimms told authorities he fired the weapon in self-defense, stating that Figueroa had threatened him. However, evidence presented during the three-week trial indicated Figueroa was not armed. Prosecutors also showed that Mimms had been wearing a bulletproof vest and was outside the home waiting when Figueroa arrived.

Figueroa had gone to the property for a supervised visit with his child, whom he shared with Mimms’ wife. Testimony established that neither the child nor the wife was present at the house when the shooting occurred.

Over the course of the trial, jurors heard from 25 witnesses. Attorneys on both sides introduced roughly 200 pieces of evidence, including the firearm and vest worn by Mimms, crime scene images, medical documentation, surveillance video and a stuffed animal Figueroa had brought for his child.

A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.