Location: Friendly Heights Boulevard, unincorporated Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia
Date: Found dead on Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Accused: Laharry Ward, 57, of Decatur
Charges: Malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, violating a family violence order
Status: Indicted by a DeKalb County grand jury on October 13, 2026; held without bond, awaiting arraignment
Toyka Biggs, a 43-year-old woman, was found dead inside her apartment on Friendly Heights Boulevard in unincorporated Decatur, Georgia, on July 21, 2026. This week a DeKalb County grand jury indicted her ex-boyfriend, Laharry Ward, 57, on murder charges in her death. Prosecutors say she was killed about a month after Ward had been ordered by a court to stay away from her.
The case has drawn attention because of what came before it. According to the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office, as reported by several Atlanta news outlets, Ward had already been arrested in June on a family violence battery charge involving Biggs, and the terms of his bond barred him from contacting her or returning to the apartment they had shared. Weeks later, Biggs was dead.
Who Was Toyka Biggs?
Toyka Biggs was 43 years old and lived in an apartment complex on Friendly Heights Boulevard in the Decatur area of DeKalb County. News reports describe Laharry Ward as her ex-boyfriend, and WSB-TV reports the two had shared the apartment before his June arrest. Her family has not made a public statement in the coverage published so far.
Some early reports spell her first name "Tokya." CBS News Atlanta, FOX 5 Atlanta and WSB-TV all report it as "Toyka," which is the spelling used here.
What Happened on Friendly Heights Boulevard?
On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 21, 2026, shortly after 1:30 p.m., DeKalb County police officers were called to the apartment complex after a report of an unresponsive person, according to WSB-TV. Officers found Biggs inside her apartment. She had been killed.
The district attorney's office has said surveillance video recorded at the complex showed Ward at Biggs' apartment around the time of her death. Investigators have not publicly described a motive, and none is suggested here.
Was There a No-Contact Order?
Yes, according to prosecutors. WSB-TV reports that police arrested Ward on June 20, 2026, on a charge of battery-family violence against Biggs. As a condition of his bond in that case, he was not allowed to have any contact with her or to go back to the apartment.
FOX 5 Atlanta reported that Biggs was found dead despite that no-contact order. CBS News Atlanta's report, citing the district attorney's office, says the killing happened less than a month after Ward's release on bond. One of the new charges, violating a family violence order, relates directly to those bond conditions.
Has Anyone Been Arrested?
Yes. DeKalb County officers arrested Laharry Ward on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, eight days after Biggs was found. He has been held in the DeKalb County Jail without bond since then.
On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, a DeKalb County grand jury returned an indictment charging Ward with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and violating a family violence order. Ward is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court. Public reports have not said whether he has an attorney or entered a plea.
What Prosecutors Have Said
The details made public so far come from the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office and were reported by CBS News Atlanta, FOX 5 Atlanta, WSB-TV and Atlanta News First on October 15, 2026. None of the reports includes a direct quote from prosecutors, police or relatives.
The office has said its Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit will prosecute the case.
What Happens Next
According to WSB-TV, the case will be assigned to a DeKalb County Superior Court judge. Ward will then be scheduled for arraignment, where he will formally answer the charges, before any trial date is set. FOX 5 Atlanta reported that no trial date has been set.
Ward remains in the DeKalb County Jail without bond while the case moves forward. Public reports have not said when the arraignment will take place.
Timeline of the Toyka Biggs Case
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Saturday, June 20, 2026 | Laharry Ward is arrested on a battery-family violence charge involving Toyka Biggs; bond conditions bar contact with her and return to the apartment. |
| Tuesday, July 21, 2026 | Shortly after 1:30 p.m., DeKalb County police respond to a report of an unresponsive person and find Biggs dead in her apartment. |
| Wednesday, July 29, 2026 | Ward is arrested in connection with her death and booked into the DeKalb County Jail without bond. |
| Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | A DeKalb County grand jury indicts Ward on malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and violating a family violence order. |
| Thursday, October 15, 2026 | The indictment is reported publicly; Ward awaits assignment to a Superior Court judge and arraignment. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is charged in the death of Toyka Biggs?
Laharry Ward, 57, of Decatur, her ex-boyfriend. A DeKalb County grand jury indicted him on October 13, 2026. He has not been convicted and is presumed innocent.
What are the charges against Laharry Ward?
Malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and violating a family violence order.
Was Laharry Ward under a court order when Toyka Biggs died?
Prosecutors say yes. After his June 20 arrest on a family violence battery charge, his bond conditions prohibited any contact with Biggs and barred him from returning to the apartment.
Is Laharry Ward in custody?
Yes. He has been held without bond in the DeKalb County Jail since his arrest on July 29, 2026.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233.
MotiveX covers cases like this in documentary form on YouTube.
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