Donell Nathaniel Hawkins, 34, of Warner Robins, Georgia, was found dead at the Budget Inn, 2076 Watson Boulevard, on the night of June 28, 2016. Officers arrived after a shots-fired call at about 10:59 p.m. and discovered Hawkins with a single fatal gunshot wound to his upper body; a homicide investigation began immediately.

Investigators used a 3D scanner at the scene and later released motel surveillance video showing two people they wanted to identify. Police said the killing grew out of a planned robbery: a woman arranged a meeting with Hawkins by text, posing it as a drug deal, and others planned for someone Hawkins would not recognize to enter his room to inquire about purchasing marijuana so the robbery could be attempted. Court records show the incident was tied to that scheme and led to arrests and a conviction in connection with Hawkins’s death.

If anyone was at the Budget Inn that night or remembers the people seen on the surveillance footage, please contact the Warner Robins Police Department or Macon Regional Crimestoppers.