A Chattanooga man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of a Walker County resident.

According to the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, Nicholas Antonio Cheaton, 42, of Chattanooga, was convicted of malice murder and other charges in the death of William Oliver Jones, 39, of Chickamauga.

A judge sentenced Cheaton to life without the possibility of parole plus an additional 45 years in prison.

The case stemmed from a March 2025 homicide investigation after Jones was found dead at his residence on West Highway 136 in Walker County. The investigation was conducted by the Walker County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Prosecutors presented evidence linking Cheaton to the killing, and a jury returned a guilty verdict on the charges. Following the conviction, the court imposed a sentence that ensures Cheaton will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

The case was prosecuted by the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, which serves Chattooga, Walker, Dade, and Catoosa counties.

District Attorney Clayton Fuller praised the efforts of investigators, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers involved in the case, saying the sentence brings justice for the victim and his family.

Cheaton will remain in the custody of the Georgia Department of Corrections.