Dad threatens mom inside day care, then she’s found dead in woods, GA officials say

A 25-year-old is going to prison after being convicted in the 2022 shooting that left the mother of his child dead, Georgia officials said.

In June 2022, DeKalb County officers responded to a day care after getting reports of a kidnapping, according to a July 3 news release by the DeKalb County district attorney.

Taco Nash Jr. had previously been ordered by the court to not have contact with the mother of his child, 22-year-old Mi’ckeya Montgomery, prosecutors said.

Montgomery was picking her young child up at the Decatur day care when Nash “showed up unexpectedly,” officials said.

Nash had called Montgomery several times throughout the day asking to return some of his belongings and when he couldn’t get a hold of her, he confronted her outside the day care, prosecutors said.

Nash tried to get Montgomery to leave with him but a day care employee pulled Montgomery and the child back into the center and called 911, prosecutors said.

That’s when Nash forced his way into the day care and pointed a gun at Montgomery before threatening to shoot her in the face, officials said.

Eventually, he forced her out of the day care and into a wooded area with their child, officials said.

Day care employees heard screaming coming from the wooded area and called 911 again, officials said.

A relative of Montgomery had been tracking her phone and told cops her phone was in the wooded area, officials said.

As officers got closer to the area, they heard a gunshot, prosecutors said.

Eventually, Nash came out of the woods with his child “covered in blood” saying Montgomery had shot herself, officials said.

Montgomery was found dead in the woods with a gunshot to the head, officials said.

The DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her death a homicide based on where the gunshot wound was, officials said.

One of Montgomery’s relatives told officers Nash had called her and apologized for killing Montgomery, officials said.

He was found guilty on charges of malice murder, murder, aggravated assault – family violence, kidnapping, aggravating stalking, cruelty to children, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon or first offender probationer, officials said.

He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, followed by two additional life sentences and 60 years to serve, prosecutors said.

Decatur is about a 10-mile drive northeast from Atlanta.

This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 1:19 PM with the headline "Dad threatens mom inside day care, then she’s found dead in woods, GA officials say."