The tragedy occurred in Dalton, Georgia, leaving the families of the suspect’s wife and girlfriend reeling in grief. Both have launched GoFundMe campaigns to raise funds for funeral expenses.
Around 6 p.m., on Friday, May 23, Dalton police were dispatched to perform a welfare check on a woman whose co-workers reported she had not been seen or heard from for several days.
Officers knocked on the door of the woman’s residence but received no response. They were eventually let in by apartment staff, and immediately discovered the woman’s body with a gunshot wound to the head.
She was identified as 35-year-old Rebeca Nicole Akins. Detectives were then notified and they began investigating. They found surveillance footage dated Wednesday, May 21, showing the suspect leaving the premises around 6 p.m.
As the investigation progressed, they tracked the man’s car to another apartment complex on 1805 Shadow Lane. As they awaited a search warrant for a unit in the complex on Saturday morning, police saw a man approaching that same unit and opening it with a key.
The man came back outside and called 911 to report two dead bodies, who would be identified as 33-year-old Cindel Mae Rhoden and 37-year-old Kevin Andrew Akins. Police later learned who dialed emergency services was Cindel’s father.
Upon reviewing this scene, investigators determined that Kevin shot and killed Cindel before turning the gun on himself. Kevin was married to Rebeca, while also in a relationship with Cindel, who was five months pregnant.
In an updated police report, preliminary findings also revealed that Kevin first murdered his wife, Rebeca, at her residence on 1320 Murray Avenue during the early morning hours of May 21, before heading to Cindel’s to kill her and himself.
Following her passing, Rebeca’s younger sister, Emily Landen, created a GoFundMe page. “On May 23rd we received the worst news we could possibly receive. My older sister Nicole was tragically taken away from us by the man she had loved for over half of her life. This has broken all of us beyond words. That is all I will say on that matter,” Emily began.
She went on to explain that Rebeca had been with Kevin for 20 years, and “all of her financials were tied up in his.” Emily said Rebeca was listed in Kevin’s life insurance policy and, given the nature of their deaths, her family was unsure how that would impact their ability to cover funeral costs.
“We want to give her a service that she deserved, celebrating her kindness, her happiness, and her unwavering love. We cannot take on this burden alone, but we do not want our situations to prevent her having the service she deserves,” Emily wrote.
She added that she wanted to celebrate the life Rebeca lived and the friends she made along the way. Her family plans to raise $18,000 and, as of this writing, they have collected $1,640.
Cindel’s family also launched a GoFundMe campaign, led by a woman named Ashley Barker. The campaign description revealed that Cindel was already a mother to two daughters by the time she was expecting a baby boy with Kevin.
Her son would have been born this September. Cindel posted a photo of her ultrasound in March of this year, with the caption, “Coming in September 2025.”
In the description of her family’s GoFundMe, Ashley described Cindel as a woman who was devoted to her work as a single mother trying to navigate life.
“Cindel was in a relationship with a man who was married to his estranged wife and she fell victim [to] manipulation,” Ashley said of Cindel’s relationship with Kevin, whom she accused of “taking the coward’s way out.”
“Cindel was more than just a victim of this tragedy she was kind, full of life, and a devoted mom doing her best for her girls. Her daughters are now in the care of family, but they need help [sic],” she continued.
Unfortunately, Cindel didn’t have life insurance. Ashley said the funds raised will provide for Cindel’s funeral, her daughters’ basic needs, and securing a more stable future for them.
“We believe in the power of community and hope you’ll stand with us during this time. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers,” Ashley concluded. Cindel’s family aims to raise $20,000; as of this writing, they have collected $3,041.