GBI Arrests Dearing Man for Murder in Thomson, GA

Thomson, GA (August 14, 2026) – The GBI has arrested and charged Mateo Pinkston, age 27, of Dearing, GA, with Felony Murder, two counts of Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime in connection with the death of Steveance Tate, age 32, of Thomson, GA, on September 9, 2023. The Thomson Police Department requested the GBI to assist with the death investigation.

On Saturday, September 9, 2023, at about 11:00 p.m., McDuffie County 911 received a shots-fired call at a home in the 800 block of A Street in Thomson, GA. Thomson Police Department officers responded and found Tate deceased on scene with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers also learned that a woman located at the home with Tate was also shot. Preliminary information indicates that Tate and the woman were sitting in a car in front of the home when an unidentified person approached the car and began shooting.

Tate’s body was taken to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy was conducted.

The woman was taken to a local hospital, where she was treated for her injuries and later released.

Pinkston was arrested on August 12, 2026, and booked into the McDuffie County Jail.

This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Thomson at 706-595-2575. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Toombs Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review and prosecution.