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Written by: A. Smith
Published November 13, 2025 @ 1:00 PM ET
COBB COUNTY, Ga. – The reward for information leading to an arrest in the death of playwright Mary Olivia Matthews has been increased to $20,000 as investigators continue to investigate what authorities call a fire-turned homicide at an apartment complex, Smyrna police said Monday.
Matthews, 32, was found dead inside a unit at the Bella 810 apartment complex, 810 Windy Hill Road SE, in the predawn hours of Sept. 3 after firefighters responded to reports of smoke and a sounding fire alarm. Smyrna Fire Department crews were dispatched at about 4:12 a.m. after a 911 caller told dispatchers they could hear an alarm and see smoke coming from a downstairs apartment, authorities said.
Firefighters evacuated the building and quickly extinguished flames in the unit. Once crews made entry, they discovered a woman inside who was later identified as Matthews. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators soon concluded she sustained injuries that appeared unrelated to the fire. Smyrna police later announced the death was being investigated as a homicide.
“There was some suspicion of criminal activity on scene,” Lt. Evan McBrayer of the Smyrna Fire Department said in September, and the Smyrna Police Department took the lead on the criminal investigation.
Meredith Holt, a Smyrna police spokesperson, said the reward — originally set at $5,000 — was increased to $20,000 with community support: $10,000 from Crime Stoppers and $10,000 from a Georgia-based fire association. Police are also on the lookout for a “prowler” who could possibly be connected to the case.
As part of that effort, investigators released images of a man captured on nearby surveillance video and asked the public to help identify him. Police described the person as a thin Black male, possibly in his late teens to early 20s, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt with a white emblem on the front and a black covering around his head. Holt emphasized that detectives are seeking to interview the man to rule him out, not to name him a suspect.
Still, authorities asked anyone who recognizes the individual or who saw unusual activity near Bella 810 on the night of Sept. 2–3 to come forward.
Matthews was an award-winning playwright who lived alone in the Smyrna apartment, according to police and information on her professional website. She earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and an M.F.A. in playwriting from Ohio University. Her short plays have been staged in Atlanta, Houston, Miami and New York City. Her most recent play, “The Nativity Starring Keisha Taylor,” was named a 2025 finalist for the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.
Police urged anyone with information to contact Detective Eric Schum at 678-631-5416 or eschum@smyrnaga.gov, or Detective Nathan Wachowiak at nwachowiak@smyrnaga.gov or 678-631-5264. Anonymous tips may be submitted through Crime Stoppers or online via the Smyrna Police Department and other law-enforcement tip portals.
The Smyrna Police Department is the lead investigative agency in the case and cautioned that information released by other sources may not yet be verified. The investigation remains active and ongoing.