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Trial Opens for Matthew Lanz in 2021 Killings of Neighbor Couple in Georgia

A judge found him competent last month after years of evaluations, with his lawyers citing delusional beliefs.

Overview

  • Prosecutors say Justin and Amber Hicks were fatally shot in their Acworth home while their 2-year-old was present.
  • Jurors were shown surveillance video that prosecutors say captured Lanz leaving the Hicks’ home before driving to his apartment in Athens.
  • A relative testified to finding the child covered in blood roughly 12 hours after the shootings, and a police sergeant said the child likely got blood on him while embracing his parents.
  • Lanz is charged with malice murder and multiple counts including cruelty to children and evidence tampering, and prosecutors have not identified a clear motive.
  • He was arrested the next day in Sandy Springs after allegedly stabbing a responding officer during a separate break-in, and the case’s backdrop includes earlier harassment tied to the property and violence involving his brother.