“Malice”: Dateline Reports on William “Jake” Embert Homicide February 27 2026

NBC’s Dateline returns Friday, February 27, with a two-hour broadcast titled “Malice,” reported by Blayne Alexander. Airing at 9/8c, the episode examines the death of William “Jake” Embert, a case that was initially ruled a suicide but later evolved into a complex homicide investigation. What began as a closed case in Albany, Georgia, grew into a lengthy legal battle marked by disputed forensic findings, multiple trials, and years of appeals.

The program follows the determination of Jake Embert’s family, who questioned the original ruling and pushed authorities to take a second look. Through interviews with investigators, legal experts, and family members, Dateline traces how early assumptions were challenged and how new evidence reshaped the case, ultimately leading to a murder conviction more than ten years after Embert’s death.

• Who Was William “Jake” Embert & What Happened to Him? 2026 Update & Background
• Who Is Susan Embert & Where Is She Now? 2026 Update & Background

The Life and Death of William “Jake” Embert

William B. “Jake” Embert, 53, was a U.S. Army veteran who spent two decades working at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany. Friends and family described him as steady and disciplined, with a strong work ethic shaped by military service and years in federal employment. His death on June 28, 2014, shocked relatives who believed he had been planning for the future rather than facing a personal crisis.

Authorities were called to the Embert home after his wife, Susan Embert, reported that she had found him dead from a gunshot wound. The scene was quickly classified as a suicide, and the case was closed without an autopsy or toxicology testing. For investigators at the time, the circumstances appeared straightforward, and no criminal inquiry was pursued.

Jake’s adult children and extended family soon expressed concern. They questioned the lack of medical examination and pointed to changes they believed had occurred in his health, behavior, and financial situation following his marriage. Their doubts set in motion a private investigation that would eventually reopen the case.

A Reopened Investigation and Allegations of Staging

The family’s independent inquiry uncovered information that challenged the original conclusion. Financial records showed significant transfers of money into Susan Embert’s personal accounts after her husband’s death. Investigators also raised concerns about the physical evidence at the scene, including whether the positioning of the firearm and Jake’s body was consistent with suicide.

As the case was reexamined, additional allegations emerged that Jake Embert may have been poisoned over time. Evidence pointed to the possible presence of toxic substances, including antifreeze and insecticide, in his system. Although some of that evidence later became the subject of legal disputes and admissibility challenges, it contributed to a shift in how authorities viewed the death.

In February 2015, a grand jury indicted Susan Embert on charges including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Prosecutors argued that the shooting had been staged to resemble a suicide, while the defense maintained that Jake Embert had taken his own life.

Trials, Appeals, and Years of Legal Complexity

Susan Embert’s first trial took place in 2019. A jury found her guilty on all major counts, and she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after several decades. The conviction appeared to bring closure, but the case soon entered another phase when post-conviction attorneys discovered that a juror who had served in the trial was legally ineligible due to a prior felony conviction.

A judge granted a new trial, reopening the case years after the original verdict. Additional legal challenges followed, including arguments related to her constitutional right to a speedy trial. In 2024, a lower court dismissed the charges, and Susan Embert was released from custody. The Georgia Supreme Court later reversed that decision in 2025, allowing prosecutors to proceed.

A second trial began in December 2025 but ended quickly in a mistrial after a witness made an improper reference to excluded poisoning evidence. The judge ruled that the statement could prejudice the jury, requiring the case to start over once again. By the time a third trial began in January 2026, the case had been moving through the courts for more than a decade.

Final Verdict and Sentencing

On January 16, 2026, a jury found Susan Embert guilty on all major charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and a firearms offense. The verdict followed weeks of testimony focused on forensic evidence, crime scene analysis, financial records, and competing expert interpretations about whether the death could have been self-inflicted.

During sentencing, family members delivered emotional victim impact statements, describing the long legal struggle and the lasting effects of the loss. Prosecutors sought the most severe penalty available under the law, arguing that the crime had been deliberate and that the prolonged legal history demonstrated the seriousness of the case.

Dougherty County Superior Court Judge Victoria Johnson sentenced Susan Embert to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional five-year consecutive sentence for the firearm charge. Defense attorneys indicated plans to pursue further appeals, though the verdict marked the strongest legal resolution the family had sought for more than ten years.

What “Malice” Reveals About the Pursuit of Justice

Dateline’s “Malice” examines how a case initially accepted as a suicide evolved into a homicide prosecution through persistence and independent investigation. The broadcast explores how early investigative decisions, including the absence of an autopsy, shaped the course of the case and complicated later efforts to establish what happened.

The episode also highlights the emotional and legal toll of prolonged litigation. For Jake Embert’s family, the process involved years of uncertainty, courtroom reversals, and repeated trials before a final conviction was reached. Through detailed reporting and firsthand accounts, the program presents a case defined by disputed evidence, legal challenges, and a long pursuit of accountability.