Authorities say the deaths appear to be a murder-suicide; no suspects are being sought.
ATLANTA, GA — An Atlanta police officer and a woman were found dead with gunshot wounds inside a Virginia-Highland home near Piedmont Park on Saturday afternoon after officers conducted a welfare check, authorities said. The Fulton County Medical Examiner later classified the woman’s death as a homicide and the officer’s as a suicide.
Saturday’s discovery drew a large police presence to Cooledge Avenue NE, a residential street just east of the park’s northern edge. Officials identified the dead as Atlanta police officer Kevin Stroner, 56, and 44-year-old Moriah (also reported as Mariah) Cardona. Investigators said the case appears to be an isolated incident, and they are not seeking additional suspects. The medical examiner’s findings, released Monday, indicate an apparent murder-suicide as detectives continue to document the scene, gather evidence and interview people who knew the pair. The department has not released Stroner’s assignment or years of service and did not say how the two knew each other.
Officers were called to the single-family home around 4 p.m. Saturday for a welfare check after acquaintances raised concerns about Cardona’s well-being, police said. When officers went inside, they found a man and a woman dead from gunshot wounds. “We did not know at the time we received the call that it was an officer,” Deputy Chief Prenzinna Spann said, noting that confirmation came only after investigators began processing the scene. The home sits along a tree-lined block of Cooledge Avenue, where yellow tape cordoned off the property as crime-scene technicians photographed rooms and collected ballistic evidence late into the evening.
By Sunday, the medical examiner identified the pair as Stroner and Cardona, providing ages and confirming the location as the 600 block of Cooledge Avenue NE. On Monday, the office ruled Cardona’s manner of death a homicide and Stroner’s a suicide. Police have not described the exact sequence of gunfire inside the home or who placed the initial welfare call. Detectives said there were no signs that anyone else was involved. Investigators are reviewing prior calls for service to the address and checking for any domestic-related reports that might clarify the relationship between the two. The department said next of kin had been notified.
The Virginia-Highland neighborhood abuts Midtown and Piedmont Park, where high foot traffic and nearby restaurants typically draw weekend crowds. The home is about a mile from the park’s 12th Street and Piedmont Avenue entrance. Neighbors said they saw patrol cars and unmarked units converge quickly on the block before dusk Saturday. One resident described officers moving methodically between the porch and the driveway as additional investigators arrived. Police did not report any threat to the public and emphasized that the incident was contained inside the residence. Records show the house at 618 Cooledge Ave. NE has been a single-family dwelling.
The department has not released details about Stroner’s current role beyond confirming he was an Atlanta police officer. A spokesperson said internal notifications went out to command staff after field teams recognized him at the scene. The agency said it will follow standard procedures for any case involving an employee, including notifying the Office of Professional Standards and making chaplain services available. The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has been briefed on the preliminary findings, according to police. Detectives are also working with the medical examiner to pinpoint the time of death through autopsy timelines and ballistic testing.
Officials said additional information, including toxicology and a full autopsy report, will take weeks. Police did not say whether a weapon was recovered, though investigators typically catalog firearms, ammunition and shell casings in cases involving gunshot wounds. Detectives are canvassing for doorbell video, checking license plate reader hits near the time of the welfare call and seeking phone records that might show recent contacts or messages. No protective orders connected to the address have been publicly disclosed, and police have not said if there were prior domestic calls to the home. The department said any updates would come through official releases after next-of-kin notifications and internal reviews.
Residents who live along Cooledge Avenue described a usually quiet stretch that turns busier on weekends when parkgoers cut through side streets. “It was shocking to see so many units on our block,” said Jordan Miles, who returned from a late lunch to find the street closed. Another neighbor, who declined to be named, said officers were courteous as they asked people to avoid the sidewalks near the property. A small group gathered behind the tape Saturday evening as technicians carried paper evidence bags from the front door to a waiting van. No memorials had been placed outside the house as of Monday afternoon.
As of Monday evening, the investigation remained active but stable, with no manhunt and no wider public safety advisories. Police said they will release further details, including any timeline of events inside the home, once lab findings and interviews are complete. The next expected update could come after the medical examiner finalizes reports in the coming days.
Author note: Last updated December 29, 2025.