Man on phone with 911 dispatchers when he fired volley of shots into motel room, killed girlfriend in bathtub is headed to prison

A Georgia man will spend the rest of his life in prison for unloading gunshots into a motel room, hitting his girlfriend, who was found dead in the bathtub.

Antonio Robert Watson, 38, was convicted of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, aggravated assault and home invasion, among other charges, in the death of 30-year-old Shalileha Alford, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office said. Watson was sentenced to life behind bars plus 20 years.

Cops responded around 8 a.m. April 15, 2025, to a Motel 6 extended-stay location on Crescent Centre Boulevard in Tucker for a person shot. When officers arrived, they found Alford unconscious in the room's bathroom. Three shell casings were on the ground outside, as well as several more inside the room.

The shots had shattered the glass window in front of the room.

Before officers arrived, 911 dispatchers received a call from a man who identified himself as "Robert" who said Alford had robbed him and that her dog had bitten him. While on the phone with 911, dispatchers heard several gunshots in the background. The caller claimed Alford had shot at him.

Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the motel that showed Watson arriving in a Nissan Altima around 7:35 a.m. on the day in question. He got out of the Altima about 10 minutes later and knocked on Alford's door. She pulled back the curtains, saw it was him and refused to open the door.

Watson, now on the phone with 911, pulled a gun from his pocket and fired several shots into the room through the window. He walked into the room through the shattered window before he fired several more shots. Watson ran back to his car and drove away.

Paramedics rushed Alford to the hospital, where she died.

Video directly refuted Watson's claims that Alford had shot at him.

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Cops spotted the suspect driving in the Altima and stopped the car with a PIT maneuver. He was placed under arrest.

On the day before the shooting, Alford called police to report that Watson had assaulted her. She told police they were casually dating and he showed up to the motel room where he punched her several times and threatened to shoot her in the face.

Alford was born in New York.

"Shalileha made it clear from the very beginning that she was going to live life on her own terms," her obituary said. "Sassy, smart, and unapologetically herself, she had a mouth full of wit, a heart full of fire, and a smile that could stop you mid-sentence. She walked with confidence, spoke with conviction, and loved with her whole heart."