A Georgia court has found Matthew Lanz guilty of two counts of murder, alongside other charges, related to the 2021 killings of a firefighter from Cobb County and his spouse.
As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, the decision came after three days of detailed testimony at the Cobb County Superior Court. Lanz was not only convicted of two counts of malice murder but also faced additional charges. The sentencing is set for Friday at 10 a.m.
- 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
CrimeOnline previously detailed that Lanz shot and killed his neighbors, Justin and Amber Hicks, on November 17, 2021. After the crime, he left their 2-year-old child alone in their Acworth residence for several hours.
During the trial’s opening statements, prosecutors highlighted security footage showing Lanz at his parents’ home near the victims’ property on the evening of the murders. The video captured him moving around the Hicks’ property from 9:31 p.m. to 9:55 p.m., and departing the area at 10:10 p.m.
During opening statements, the prosecution stated that security footage showed Lanz at his parents’ home, which is on the property line of the victims’ home, on the same night they were murdered.
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]
