SMYRNA, Ga. — Award-winning playwright Olivia Matthews is dead after an apartment fire in Smyrna, Georgia, that authorities believe was deliberately set. Investigators are treating her death as a homicide.
Victim and Investigation
Matthews, age 32, was found on Wednesday, September 3, after fire crews and police responded to a blaze at her apartment. Corpses were discovered inside the residence; police say she had injuries not consistent with the fire itself. In addition, security cameras near the unit reportedly disappeared just before the fire broke out—raising further suspicion among investigators.
Smyrna Police and Fire, along with Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta, are seeking tips from the public. A reward initially offered for information has been increased to $10,000.
Artistic Background
Originally from Clearmont, Florida, Matthews had built a growing profile in theater circles. Her work had been performed in cities including Atlanta, New York, Houston, Miami, and Omaha. Two notable plays of hers are The Nativity Story, Starring Keisha Taylor, and Absentia. Absentia won the 2020 Jane Chambers Student Playwriting Award and was named a 2022 Wayward Voices Panel Favorite. The Nativity Story Starring Keisha Taylor, which explores themes of faith, identity, and community, was a finalist at the Eugene O’Neill Center National Playwrights Conference in 2025.
In her artistic statement, Matthews described her characters as “working against people and situations seemingly immovable or inescapable,” and said they often draw strength from family and community—even those they once felt stifled by.
Community Response
Tributes have poured in from friends and colleagues who remember Matthews as passionate, stylish, and deeply committed to her craft. One close friend, Daisy Bentley, told WSBTV: “Liv was perfect, and I can’t imagine why somebody would want to harm her.” Others recalled her love for the color purple, her sense of style, her dedication to justice, writing, and film.
What’s Next
Investigators continue to seek more information. Police ask anyone with knowledge about the fire, the missing cameras, or anything suspicious around the time of the incident to come forward. As of now, no arrests have been made.
