Charges dropped, teen accused of luring locksmith to his death released from jail

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A teenager once accused of luring a locksmith to his death has been released from jail and the charges have been dropped.

Peter McGrath, 36, died in June of 2022. DeKalb police found him in his burnt out locksmith van on Mecklinburg Place in Decatur near Towers High School.

His wife, Amber McGrath, said a woman called him to Wood Bend Drive in Decatur because she’d locked her keys in her car.

When he arrived, police believe robbers attacked him, shot and killed and drove around in his work van with his body inside before they ditched it on Mecklinburg Place and set it on fire.

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“The killers are still out there,” Mrs. McGrath said.

She met with Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco about the new developments in the case.

“It’s very shocking,” said McGrath.

Police arrested the teenager they believed was involved in the deadly robbery in February 2023.

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Dekalb County jail records show deputies released him Dec. 26.

The Dekalb County District Attorney’s Office said no additional suspects have been charged at this time.

Spokesperson Lisa Myers wrote, “While the current charges against the defendant were Nolle Prossed, the investigation into Peter McGrath’s murder is still open and pending in our office. As such, we are unable to offer additional details regarding the case at this juncture.”

Trial attorney Chuck Boring was a prosecutor in Fulton and Cobb counties for approximately 20 years.

He spoke to Channel 2 Action News about the reasons this can happen.

“It could be from exoneration: they found evidence that the defendant didn’t do it, or they couldn’t prove the defendant did it without a reasonable doubt,” said Boring.

He said it could be other perpetrators are involved in the killing who have not been apprehended yet.

In that scenario, he said attorneys may need to build the case out more and need to dismiss charges against the teenager before he goes to trial.

He said also, “There could have been a development in the investigation here; they learned new evidence. If so, if they go to trial without putting their best foot forward, there are no do-overs.”

He said there’s no bar to bringing charges back again.

McGrath’s wife said she is giving up on the justice side of her case. She is turning her attention toward changing laws and is pushing for legislators to create a bill that makes it a felony to lure service providers to a location for nefarious reasons.

“I don’t want my husband to have died in vain,” Mrs. McGrath said.

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