Man shows up wearing body armor to supervise child visitation with his wife's ex-fiance, then blows Army vet away and claims self-defense

Left: Nicholas Michael Mimms (Cherokee County Sheriff's Office). Right: Eduardo "Eddie" Gilberto Figueroa (Scott Huskins Funeral Home).

A jury in Georgia convicted a 37-year-old man after he shot his wife's ex-fiance to death while preparing to supervise a child visitation session, authorities say.

Nicholas Michael Mimms was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the death of 31-year-old Eduardo "Eddie" Gilberto Figueroa, the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office said. He was found not guilty of malice murder.

Prosecutors said Mimms' wife and Figueroa shared a child and the victim had recently established parental rights. Mimms, who did not know Figueroa, was supervising the victim's first court-approved parental time.

Figueroa brought along a stuffed animal to give to his child — Mimms wore body armor and had a gun. Cops responded around noon on Aug. 7, 2021, to the home on Mohawk Trail in the Acworth area of Cherokee County. When they arrived, they found Figueroa dead outside the home on a deck with multiple gunshot wounds.

Mimms claimed self-defense, saying Figueroa was "dangerous" and had "threatened him," prosecutors say. But Figueroa did not have a gun and posed no threat to Mimms, prosecutors said. The convicted murderer was "waiting outside of the home for Figueroa to arrive," per prosecutors.

The child and mother were not present for the shooting.

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Jurors convicted Mimms after about eight hours of deliberation following the three-week trial.

According to his obituary, Figueroa was a U.S. Army veteran and was attending Kennesaw State University, where he was a student in the Computer Science and Engineering Department with hopes of becoming a video game developer.

"I felt fortunate to be the mother of such a kind, beautiful human being and amazing father," his mother wrote. "His laughter was contagious, and he was funny, smart, and a great friend. I will miss everything about him — our calls, the I love you's, and everything in between."

A sentencing date for Mimms has yet to be set.