ATLANTA — The family of a woman killed in a gruesome stabbing on board a MARTA train over the weekend is sharing more about her life.
Margaret Sams-Swan, 66, was killed on a train at Oakland City Station around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. Her family says she was a former Atlanta Public Schools employee.
John Matthews, 25, is currently being held in the Fulton County Jail and charged with her murder.
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“Her life was stolen for no reason,” her daughter, Shanae Sams, told Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco. “My mom was on her way home from leaving from my sister’s house.”
Cameras at the MARTA station show her mom stepping on the train at 11:21 a.m. Saturday, according to a police report. About three minutes later, police said cameras show Matthews walk on board and stand right next to her.
Less than 15 seconds pass before police said he starts stabbing her. According to Matthews’ arrest warrant, Sams-Swan was stabbed as many as 20 times during the attack.
“You stabbed her 20 times. You slit her throat. What was the reason? No reason,” said Sams-Swan’s granddaughter, Laquita Wooten. “Nothing will bring her back. I don’t think he got remorse, honestly. He doesn’t care.”
The police report said once the attack started, passengers were trapped on the train for one minute and 34 seconds until it pulled into the Oakland City Station.
Police show up to arrest Matthews a minute later, according to the report. Two and a half minutes pass before an officer helps Sams-Swan.
“Where do we go from here?” said Wooten.
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They want more police officers patrolling on the actual trains.
The MARTA Police Department has 280 sworn officers and 30 Field Protective Specialists (non-sworn security personnel).
Security resources include more than 12,000 cameras throughout rail stations, buses, and railcars, as well as a Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) that is monitored full-time during operation hours.
Undercover officers patrol stations, buses, and railcars.
Sams-Swan’s family also wants to see the gates locked to the public without tickets.
Police said Matthews is listed as homeless. So, family said it’s possible locked gates could have saved Sams-Swan if he did not have a ticket.
“My mom was the rock of the family. She was a phenomenal person,” said Sams.
She said she was a mom of three, grandmother of five and great-grandmother to four.
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