Overview

• On June 11, Ricky Lamar Hawk formally admitted guilt under a guilty but mentally ill finding for voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, firearm possession and concealing a death in the January 2021 shooting of his cousin.
• Under the agreement, a malice murder charge was dropped and Hawk received credit for more than four years already served since his February 2021 arrest.
• DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney L. Johnson imposed the 30-year prison sentence, concluding legal proceedings that began with emergency crews pronouncing Frederick Rooks III dead at the Panthersville scene.
• Prosecutors pointed to ballistics matching shell casings to Hawk’s gun, GPS data placing his white BMW SUV at the shooting site and security footage of the vehicle fleeing.
• Hawk’s attorney highlighted his severe bipolar disorder and secured his placement in a state mental health facility for ongoing psychiatric care within the Georgia prison system.