New father found beaten along Roswell trail remains in ICU

ROSWELL, Ga. - A Roswell father remains in the ICU for a second night Thursday after being found unconscious and badly beaten along a trail at Roswell Area Park.

Matthew Donald is an avid hiker. Despite being a new father, the 40-year-old still finds time in the morning and in the evening to get his 20,000 steps in each day. So, it wasn't unusual he was at the park on Tuesday evening. His father, Dean Donald, says his son has been known to wear through a good pair of shoes quickly. 

Donald says just after 8:30 p.m., he had been texting back and forth with his son. But a text sent a little later on didn’t get a response.

"We are both huge Braves fans. So, when the Mets were losing in the 8th inning, I texted him a screenshot of the score," Donald said.

While his father did not think anything about not getting a quick response from his son, his mind went reeling when he got a call a few minutes later. 

"I received a call from North Fulton Hospital, a nurse there, and she asked me if I was Matthew Donald's dad," Donald said.

The nurse would go on to explain that a Roswell police officer had found his Matthew's phone and that he was the last person his son texted. She also explained his son was found badly beaten.

Matthew Donald with his newborn  (Dean Donald)

Roswell police say just after 9:30 p.m. officers responded to the park located at 10495 Woodstock Road. The officers spoke to a jogger who told police he found Matthew unconscious along the side of a trail. At first, the jogger thought he may have been homeless, but as he approached, he saw the extent of his injuries, not to mention the pool of blood around him.

Officers were able to stabilize Matthew until medics arrived to rush him to the hospital.

"We came right away. When we got here we were able to go into the ICU and see him," his father said, making the nearly two-hour drive from Lake Oconee to Roswell. "He was severely beaten up, unconscious, on a ventilator, I mean, just really, very, very hard to look at."

Dean Donald points out the blood stains in the area where his son was found beaten unconscious at Roswell Area Park on Sept. 13, 2022.

Matthew could not tell officers or anyone what happened, but investigators did speak with several witnesses at the park. They also pulled all data from the license plate reader at the entrance of the park.

Meanwhile, his wife has been constantly at his side as he recovers in the ICU. His father and mother have been staying in town to take care of the couple’s 7-month-old boy.

His father says there is some good news. It appears Matthew will not need extensive surgery or need his jaw wired shut.

"He still remains on a ventilator, his swelling has gone down, he has heavy-duty, big lacerations in his head, forehead, his eyes swelled shut," his father said.

A jogger found a new father beaten unconscious at Roswell Area Park on Sept. 13, 2022. (FOX 5)

As investigators wait for Matthew to recover enough to answer their questions, his father has his own questions.

"Why? What prompted this?" he asked.

Matthew’s father says his wallet, keys, ID were all still with his son when arrived at the hospital.

Matthew Donald and his wife with their newborn  (Dean Donald)

He hopes police can find whoever did this quickly, so it won’t happen to anyone else.

"I want this solved. I want this solved now," he said. "This kind of stuff cannot and will not be tolerated here in Roswell."

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Roswell Police Department.