Beloved Georgia bookstore owner reportedly killed by employee

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Erica Atkins, a beloved owner of a popular Georgia bookstore, was reportedly kidnapped and killed — and one of her employees, a former boyfriend, has been accused of the crime.

Georgia bookstore owner Erica Atkins was kidnapped then killed

Atkins, a 42-year-old mother of two and the owner of Birdsong Books in Locust, GA, was discovered by a fisherman in Cedar Creek in Putnam County around 1:15 p.m. on Monday the Henry County Sheriff’s Office told 11Alive.

Atkins had been reported missing on Sunday (March 5) and was found about an hour’s drive from the bookstore. Police said they believe she was killed in Henry County and that her body was then dumped in nearby Putnam County.

Erica Atkins and Romero Johnson (Facebook)

An employee of her bookstore, Romero Johnson, 38, was arrested and charged with kidnapping and murdering Atkins, police said.

Atkins and Johnson had reportedly dated before she broke it off, the father of her youngest child told Fox 5 Atlanta.

The community is in shock of the murder of the beloved entrepreneur

The victim’s daughter, Jasmine Atkins, said the family was devastated. “We’re hurting. She kept everyone together,” she told the 11Alive.

A makeshift memorial stands erect in front of Atkins bookstore.

“I still have a sick feeling in my stomach, in my head. I just keep thinking about her,” Atkins’ friend Shanna Amoah told 11Alive.

“It just floored me. Basically, it floored me beyond measure. I was just completely devastated,” Amoah said.

Amoah said that Atkins was a beloved “pillar” of the community and had recently won a Small Business of the Year award from the local chamber of commerce.

“Erica was a busy woman. She was committed to helping her community. She donated books – donated her time. In fact, she came last year to my summer camp and read to my kids – donated her time there,” Amoah said.