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A Georgia court has handed down a conviction to Matthew Lanz for two counts of murder, along with other charges, related to the tragic 2021 killings of a firefighter from Cobb County and his spouse.
As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, the verdict came after three days of detailed testimony at the Cobb County Superior Court. Besides facing two counts of malice murder, Lanz was found guilty of several other offenses:
- Felony murder (four counts)
- Home invasion
- Aggravated assault (two counts)
- Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (two counts)
- Cruelty to children
- Tampering with evidence
His sentencing is set for Friday at 10 a.m.
As previously detailed by CrimeOnline, Lanz shot and killed his neighbors, Justin and Amber Hicks, on November 17, 2021. After committing the crime, he left their Acworth home, abandoning their 2-year-old child alone for several hours.
In the prosecution’s opening remarks, they pointed to security video showing Lanz at his parents’ residence, which borders the victims’ property, on the night of the murders.
Footage showed him walking in and around the Hicks’ property between 9:31 p.m. to 9:55 p.m., then leaving the scene at 10:10 p.m.
The victims were found deceased on a couch, after being shot while they watched television. Investigators said they found the 2-year-old soaked in blood, crying and trying to cuddle the bodies of his deceased parents.
A few days later, police arrested Lanz after he broke into a Sandy Springs residence. When an officer responded to the scene, Lanz reportedly stabbed the officer several times in the neck and back; another officer then shot him.
The case had been delayed numerous times, as questions swirled around his mental competency.
In October, a forensic psychologist told the court that Lanz suffered from schizophrenia, but a judge found him competent to stand trial, Court TV reports.
Lanz declined to comment and did not testify in his own defense.
Matthew Lanz’s defense lawyer claimed that Lanz thought he was being “set up” by government agencies, such as the CIA and FBI.
According to Atlanta’s News First, Justin worked over six years as a Cherokee County firefighter. Amber was an audiology assistant.
[Featured Photo: Hicks couple/Facebook]
